


Finding Your Home

by RedheadedSuperhero



Category: Supernatural
Genre: ABO dynamics, Alpha Dean Winchester, Alternate Universe - Werecreatures, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, BAMF Castiel (Supernatural), BAMF Dean Winchester, Bottom Castiel, Fluff, Multi, No Heats, No mpreg, Omega Castiel (Supernatural), Omega Castiel/Alpha Dean Winchester, POV Castiel, POV Dean, Protective Dean Winchester, Scent Marking, Shifters, Top Dean Winchester, True Mates, Wolves, pack leader Dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-06
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2019-10-22 22:44:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 77,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17671538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedheadedSuperhero/pseuds/RedheadedSuperhero
Summary: Castiel had been Changed three years ago. Three years in which he had constantly struggled with his fate as a werewolf. To his dismay, he had turned into an omega; and he was still appalled that every alpha seemed to expect him to bow down and act submissive. Because he was not.Just when his life was about to end, most violently because he had disobeyed his pack alpha, the Father of Wolves saved him and ordered Castiel to switch packs once again. It would be the third in just as many years. Castiel did not look forward to finding a new home since he had by now lost all hope to ever meet a decent Alpha or a loving pack.And so he was more than a little bit surprised when his wolf recognised his True Mate in the gruff pack leader, Dean Winchester. But even though his wolf seemed ready to form an eternal bond, the human side of Castiel was still wary.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> And yet another ABO-Destiel-story! (Yes, I’m rolling my eyes at myself.)
> 
> In this universe, werewolves are not born, they are made. ABO-traits only develop fully after the Change, and they are more on a spiritual level than physical traits. Everyone’s body looks and works like before. What I’m saying is: There will be no mpreg (or any other kind of preg since werewolves can’t have nor sire children), no heats or slick; no knotting. There will be a little bit of smut, eventually, but no juicy heat sex. If that’s what you are looking for, this story will only disappoint. ;)
> 
> Please mind the tags – especially the one about attempted rape. But I’d like to point out that the offender is not going to be by Dean. Because I would never ever write a romance between two people when one of them was a complete asshole. There is also a minor character death in the first chapter.
> 
> The first is the longest chapter in the whole story; just so you are prepared for the later (shorter) ones. There is so much exposition in the beginning (sorry! I hope it’s not too horrible/boring to read) and I did not want to split it up. POVs will change between Dean and Cas, but overall, Cas gets more screentime. ;-)

**FINDING YOUR HOME**

 

**ONE**

 

As soon as he stepped into the bleak room in his Alpha’s cellar, Castiel knew that he would die tonight. But it was not so much an inevitable truth as it was a conscious decision.

Castiel had not expected that the thought of his imminent death would bother him so much – after all, he should have died three years ago, and he had never really managed to come to terms with this version of an after-life – so he was surprised by the shiver of fear than ran down his back.

He felt the urge to just turn around and run, but of course that would not help him in the slightest; it might even make things worse. So instead, he slowly walked up towards his Alpha, even though all his instincts were screaming at him to flee.

His rising fear must have shown on his face, or in his scent, because the man in front of him suddenly smiled even wider than before.

Lucifer emanated a wave of strength and dominance, like every Pack Alpha Castiel had ever met, and as he searched his gaze, Castiel had to fight the urge to look down to the ground. It was almost painful to keep his eyes up, but he was not willing to budge. Not this time. Not when this simple act of rebellion was all he had left in this life.

As the blue-eyed man kept staring at him directly, Lucifer did not seem surprised by Castiel’s open defiance, but he still looked furious that one of his wolves – and an omega at that! – would even try to challenge him.

Castiel noticed movement around him, and cold sweat started to break out of his skin. There were at least five other wolves in the cellar with him and Lucifer, hiding in the shadows, almost unnoticeable if not for their low growling and that strong repulsive scent in the air.

Castiel tried to focus on Lucifer and on his own fury. He was not scared of his Alpha, he realised, nor was he of dying. It were the men in the shadows that alarmed him. He could smell their arousal and their eagerness of what was to come. They were excited, like wolves just before a rewarding hunt on a Full Moon. Everyone but one. Castiel’s nose twitched as he noticed the subtler scent of fear and desperation. He closed his eyes in disgust.

Lucifer had even brought the boy.

For a second, Castiel was nearly overwhelmed with the urge to run. The door behind him was still open, and maybe, if his stars meant well for him, he would be able to flee. But Castiel’s wolf knew better. Never run from an aroused alpha – they would probably even welcome this kind of response. A chase would just make it more interesting for them, more exciting. So instead of running, Castiel tried to breath calmly, and kept looking at Lucifer, awaiting his Alpha’s next move.

When he finally talked, Lucifer’s tone was almost gentle, like they were having a harmless conversation about the weather.

“Castiel, do you know why I called you here?”

“To punish me.” Castiel’s voice was not gentle at all. It was gruff, and, to his dismay, it trembled a little. And for the first time since he had arrived, Castiel broke eye contact and looked towards the cold stone floor. “Because I didn’t obey your orders.”

“That’s absolutely right, Castiel. Smart boy.” Lucifer’s voice was overly sweet, like he was talking to a puppy, but it was still easy enough to hear the menace between the words. “You told me you’d rather be had by a dog than submit to me. Now, I don’t have any dogs with me I’m afraid, but I can help you with some wolves.”

The growling from the back of the room was getting louder, more eager, and Castiel noticed with raising hackles that one of the men around him had changed his form already. His wolf must have overpowered him in his anticipation, and Lucifer, whose job it was to keep his pack in check, had done nothing to stop it. The Alpha only smirked. He leaned forwards and smiled down at Castiel.

“Don’t forget I’m only doing what you asked me for. And who knows? Once my friends are done with you, you might even be a little bit more forthcoming when _I_ call you to my bed in the future.” Lucifer looked at his hands like he was polishing his nails. “That is, assuming there will be something left of you.”

Castiel forced himself to look at Lucifer again. He was not scared of death; he was scared of what might come before. But he would not just submit and act like easy prey. Knowing he would not give up and simply roll over to be raped by a group of alphas, knowing he would die tonight, Castiel was focused to get at least one satisfaction before his life would end.

He jumped forwards in a sudden move and punched Lucifer right into his smiling face.

 

>>>>><<<<< 

 

_Three years ago_

Of course, Castiel had always known about werewolves. _Everyone_ knew about werewolves. But while most people in his life had seemed to be scared of them and tried to keep out of their way as much as possible, Castiel had always been fascinated.

Yes, they were dangerous – anyone should know better than to provoke a Wolf much less start a fight with one – but that was because they were strong and wilful. And Castiel had always envied those attributes. He had been bullied in school, and even occasionally in his adult life, just because of his sexual orientation, and he liked to imagine that things would be different if only he could change into a massive beast at will.

And werewolves lived in _packs_.

They hardly let the outside world know _how_ those packs worked precisely, but Castiel had always imagined it would be very much like those of actual wild wolves. Everyone would look out for each other; the young ones would be cared for and the leaders of the pack would make sure everyone felt safe and no one suffered any hardship. Castiel had never had a big family himself; eventually even his religiously devout mother had turned against her gay son, so the idea of a big group of people looking out for each other had always seemed appealing to Castiel.

He had never been obsessed with werewolves though, like so many other humans, who either believed in the porn industry’s hype of insatiable lovers or just envied their long and healthy lives. Even though most people tended to fear them, there was still a fair number of groupies who basically stalked whole packs in the hopes to be part of it one day. But Castiel would have never asked them to turn him – not only because the probability of surviving the Change was less than three percent, nor because shifters very obviously did not appreciate when someone tried to persuade them. But Castiel had also heard stories of wolves who had lost their temper and killed innocent humans – and he did not want to turn into a mindless beast.

But there was just something about werewolves that sparked his interest.

Considering his long-time fascination, it was not surprising that Castiel was willing to make friends with a shifter once he finally met one.

When he first saw Meg Masters, Castiel had instantly known she was a werewolf. Partly by the bite mark on her neck, partly by the way she held herself. She belonged to the pack that lived a few towns over, and her leader had forced all his wolves into public – which was not at all unusual. Werewolves did not have to register anywhere officially – theoretically, they could live undetected for centuries if they just moved to a different place every now and then. Even though, in present days, people usually realised after a few years if someone didn’t age. Some Alphas let their pack members decide for themselves if they wanted to come out to the public or not, but most forced them to do so. They did not even have to say anything – the Alpha’s mark on the neck of a pack member was difficult enough to hide, unless one lived in eternal winter.

When Meg approached him for the first time, Castiel had been instantly intrigued. Her Alpha, the owner of a big grain company, had needed the services of a freelance interpreter like him, and Castiel had agreed to translate some annual reports of his company into Russian and German. Meg had been his contact whenever he had had a question, and they met a few times in a café. Soon, their conversations were not only about his work, but more and more often they talked about trivial matters about their lives, like books, TV shows or their favourite food. Sometimes Meg had even tried to get him to talk about past relationships.

Castiel, on the other hand, had always wanted to know more about werewolves. But he soon realised that even when you had shifter friend – though that might have been a strong term to describe his relationship with Meg at that point – it didn’t mean she would give you any details about pack life. Castiel read between the lines that her Alpha had forbidden his whole pack to associate with humans altogether, unless it was for the sake of his company. Meg still met up with Castiel in their favourite café, even after he had finished his translations. In the beginning, he had feared she might have been interested in him, romantically, so Castiel had told her he was gay. Meg had only shrugged her shoulders and kept meeting with him. Later, Castiel would find out that werewolves did not think in those categories exactly, especially the older ones did not really seem to care much about gender or labelling their sexual orientation. But at the time, he had thought that he explained in no uncertain terms that he was only interested in a friendship. To the present day, Castiel did not know whether she had been interested in a romantic relationship despite his words. But he had liked her, and he had been glad she sneaked out to meet him behind her Alpha’s back every other week. Castiel had never really thought about how dangerous it might have been for her.

Until everything changed.

It had been a warm summer day when Meg had told him they could not meet anymore. He had waited for her on the terrace of their favourite café, eager to tell her about the new job he got to translate a book about the sexual revolution – half looking forward and half dreading what she would have to say about the subject. Meg had never really stopped flirting, and she had often told him he needed to get laid more often, so Castiel could almost hear her joking about how he should rather ramp up his own sexual revolution. It had always been a subject they handled very differently: Meg seemed to enjoy sex with anyone, anytime – maybe the rumours about werewolves were not completely wrong in that department – while Castiel had never been sexually attracted to someone he had not some sort of emotional relationship with. And Meg had never stopped teasing him about being prude – in her eyes. She even seemed to enjoy comparing him to an innocent angel.

When Meg had finally arrived at their meeting point that sunny day, she had limped slightly and her face looked bruised beneath her make-up; and even though she had not mentioned him specifically, Castiel was sure her Alpha had punished her and _persuaded_ her to stop seeing her human friend. Quite forcefully.

After Meg had told him they could not meet anymore, the scene resembling some bad romance movie, she walked out of the café with only a sad _Goodbye, Clarence_ on her lips. Castiel had hurried after her, trying to change her mind, or at least to get her to explain what had happened to her. But Meg had just run over the street, and Castiel had followed her, without looking left nor right. And thus, he had not seen the car that crashed into him.

Castiel should have died that day.

But instead, he woke up a week later, in an impersonal guestroom in the home of Zachariah Adler. Meg was sitting by his side like a nurse; the first face he saw in his new life.

When he opened his eyes, she let out a joyful giggle that seemed all too girly for her.

“You made it, Clarence.”

“Made… what?”

“You’re one of us now.”

He frowned, unable to process her words. His head hurt, his body felt too tired to move, and there suddenly seemed something inside of him that rivalled for his attention.

“Oh, don’t worry. Zachariah was angry that I Changed you before I had the time to ask his permission but … you were dying. And I could make him see that it would be helpful to have an interpreter in his company.” Her smile widened, like everything had turned out brilliantly, and she leaned down to hug him or kiss him – he never found out. Because Meg’s face suddenly fell, and she looked down on Castiel with a silent _Oh_ on her lips. That moment, Castiel had smelled the sharp spice of fear for the first time in his life. It had helped him to finally concentrate on his friend and ignore the strange presence inside of him.

“Oh no, no, no.”

“What is it? What’s wrong?” Castiel looked down on himself, noticing he was naked and checking for injuries, because he thought Meg had realised he was hurt, or bleeding. He hazily remembered the last time he saw her – a car, yelling, and then there was the siren of an ambulance – and he realised he should look a lot worse than he did. And then he finally understood what had happened; understood the strange feeling like he was sharing his body with someone else. He had become a werewolf. But that was obviously not the thing Meg was worried about.

“You’re an omega, Castiel.” Meg mumbled the words almost to herself, and even though he didn’t understand, could not possibly understand, panic settled into Castiel’s bones. Whatever it meant to be an omega, it couldn’t be anything good. Castiel thought about old, outdated studies that had worked with the concept of omega wolves which were at the bottom of a pack. Could that be true for shifters? It would certainly explain Meg’s horrified, almost pitiful, look.

A moment later, the door was opened, and a huge man walked in. Until this day, Castiel could not say how tall Zachariah actually was – a Pack Alpha always looked a little bit more overwhelming than just their physical appearance. They had their whole pack to back them up. And Castiel’s new wolf had trouble processing the dominance in front of him. He involuntarily ducked his head, but he was still able to see the Alpha’s reaction. Contraire to Meg, the man had looked angry when he had stepped in, but then he took in a deep breath, and he suddenly started smiling.

“Omega,” he said with a joy, that sent a cold shiver down Castiel’s back.

 

>>><<< 

 

In the following weeks, Castiel had to learn what it meant to be a werewolf, quickly. And without asking too many questions. He had found that questions were not encouraged, at least not by alphas, or most betas – fortunately, he had at least Meg by his side, who tried to help him as much as possible, even though she was an alpha and seldom allowed in his presence.

Being turned into a werewolf came with some obvious benefits: Like his new-found strength or the fact that he could turn into an actual wolf. When he changed form, Castiel’s fur was mostly white, with black ears and black paws, like he was wearing socks. He thought he looked a bit odd – there were no other wolves in his pack so white – and the colouring seemed unfortunate, if only because it could be easily detected in the dark. But he probably had to get used to it since a wolf would never change his appearance. In human form, Castiel looked into the mirror differently now, knowing that he would never age. His hair might still grow, but the colour would remain the same, just like the soft wrinkles around his eyes would not vanish nor deepen. He assumed he should be glad that he had been Changed in his late thirties instead of as a young boy or an old man. And even though he had to get used to the strange look of his wolf, he still loved changing form and running around in the wild. His inner wolf yipped out happily anytime he was allowed to come out. Even though that didn’t happen very often.

From day one, Castiel had lived in peace with his wolf and changing form had come easily to him – a typical trait on an omega, as he had learned.

Omegas, Uriel had explained to him, were different from other shifters. They were weaker and smaller than the other wolves, submissive by nature – which meant they could be easily controlled by the human side. Omegas hardly ever changed on impulse, even when they got emotional, but they easily changed at will. Because omega wolves were mild-tempered, Uriel had said, and easily controlled. Uriel was the Second in Zachariah’s pack, another alpha, who always looked like his wolf was on the verge of breaking out.

Castiel had to admit that he had no problems holding his wolf back, even when he was angry – and in the years that followed his Change, he had been angry more often than not –; he did not even think of him as a second entity in his body. He had learned that, for most werewolves, it felt like sharing a body with a whole different spirit, and the human had to constantly fight this _other_ for control. Sometimes, most often in the years after the Change, a human would be lost to the wolf. Whenever that happened, they had to be put down, to not endanger the rest of the pack or any innocent bystanders. But Castiel had never felt the necessity to fight his animal half. Yes, his wolf was always there, inside him, but it was like they shared mind, spirit and heart. They were one.

And no matter what Uriel said, to Castiel, his wolf did not feel submissive at all. He did not _control_ him either; they usually picked the best option for them both. The best option to not get hurt. As life in a pack had turned out to be very different from what Castiel had always imagined.

On the day he had woken up in Zachariah’s house, the Alpha had made Castiel kneel in front of him and claimed him as one of his pack with a bite to his neck. It had been painful and sudden, while Castiel still struggled with the fact that he was no longer completely human – and whenever he thought back about the first time he had been acknowledged as a pack member, he felt the same wave of fear and rage and confusion that had nearly overwhelmed both him and his wolf that day.

After the claiming, Castiel had felt the bond of a pack inside him for the first time. But it did not make him feel safe or welcome like he had imagined; it made him feel observed.

One could feel every member of a pack like a fine thread inside one’s mind; at least to Castiel it had always felt that way. If someone died, the whole pack would know. The Alpha could also pull his whole Pack or single members to him, no matter where he was – it could be a gentle tug, or a forceful order that was impossible to deny. That special connection could be quite helpful when it came to wolves who lost their control or other dangerous situations; but Castiel had always hated it. When someone was about to snap, an Alpha could call on the whole pack to help him. In the years that followed his claiming, Castiel received the impression that Zachariah was calling on him for help, for strength, more often than anyone else, and it had always confused him a bit. If omegas were seen as fragile, why would he try to weaken Castiel even more. However, he had to admit he usually did not feel any different after his Alpha had called on him for help. He knew that he could theoretically tug on the string that belonged to Zachariah, the most prominent one in his mind, to get his Alpha’s attention when he was in need. But Castiel had never wanted to even try. When he sometimes lay in bed and felt the bond in his mind more clearly than throughout a busy day, he did not even want to _think_ about Zachariah’s string, convinced that his Alpha would not appreciate it if he accidentally called him, or even only brushed over the link.

That bond between pack and Alpha could not be broken, unless the Alpha allowed a shifter to leave – or died –, or you were strong enough to form a challenge for leadership.

After the Change, Castiel’s whole life had turned around completely. He had been ordered to move into Zachariah’s big mansion and give up his work, his apartment and few friends. He had to find his way around in this pack, mostly by observing others since questions were often seen as an act of defiance.

It had not come easy to Castiel to differentiate other wolves’ status, but after a while, he had learned to spot an alpha, beta, or the few other omegas. Most shifters were alphas – Uriel claimed that their wolves were strongest and thus more likely to survive the Change. But they also had the biggest problems to control their wolves and sometimes they couldn’t shift back and forth easily. After some time, Castiel had even learned to smell the different dominance levels of the wolves – not every alpha was strong enough to become an Alpha with a capital A. It took a lot of strength to control a whole pack – and that was the Alpha’s most important job. When someone was close to losing control of their wolves, an Alpha could often help to keep them in check. The wolf acknowledged the Alpha as their leader, sometimes they respected him more than the human they shared their body with. Despite them being dangerous, pack Leaders usually liked to be surrounded by a high number of strong alphas – to strengthen the whole pack, and with it their own power. But of course, there was always the possibility that one of your wolves would turn out to be a little bit too strong, or ambitious, and challenge the Alpha for the whole pack.

Betas seemed to feel their wolves as a different personality as well, but they usually had them better under control than alphas. And just like omegas, they were not quite as strong. Castiel sometimes thought that betas were the ones with submissive, or at least the most compliant wolves – not that he would ever dare to say it out loud.

Because omegas should never speak up. Their sole purpose seemed to be to serve their Alpha. As an omega, Castiel was not considered as a possible asset to Zachariah’s company because of his knowledge of foreign languages anymore. He was supposed to clean the house and cook with the two other omegas in the pack, Ambriel and Alfie. Sometimes other high-ranking alphas even gave them their dirty shoes or yelled at them if they found something amiss.  

Given how he had been treated, it was not surprising that Castiel had never liked his Alpha. It was only after Zachariah had died that Castiel realised how lucky he had been to come back to life under his rule.

After months in his new home, Castiel noticed that even though he lived in Zachariah’s home and cooked and cleaned and otherwise was supposed to stay invisible – he was the only omega the Alpha had never called to his bed. He did not think that was because of Zachariah’s good heart – or because he realised that Castiel would rather die than be used that way – but because the other two omegas in his pack, young and pretty in appearance, were more to his liking. But he had never tried to offer Castiel to someone else as a gesture of gratitude either, and he had insinuated that as long as Castiel would not share his body with anyone else, he would be satisfied. And Castiel had no problem to abstain from any sexual contacts. He had never been easily attracted by strangers, and that much hadn’t changed after he had been turned into a werewolf.

The only thing that Castiel hungered for was touch. He had been a loner for nearly all his life, and it surprised him that he sometimes almost hurt, because he was longing for a gentle touch so much. Castiel had slowly learned that it was part of being a werewolf. Most of them hugged quite often, all of them were hungry for even the briefest physical contact with their Alpha – yes, even Castiel – who usually only touched someone as a form of praise, or when a wolf was about to snap. Castiel had always thought Zachariah could have prevented a lot of dangerous situations if he only allowed his wolves in his company more often, and not only right before they were about to break. But most of the time, only his highest-ranking shifters were supposed to visit him at home or in his office; the others being hardly more than underpaid workers. Because it was their only option, sometimes wolves even slept on Zachariah’s porch; the closest they were allowed to get to their Alpha without a direct invitation.

A werewolf’s longing for touch might explain all the myths of insatiable sex partners. Even in Zachariah’s pack, where wolves were mostly prohibited to interact with humans, they were allowed to seek them out for intercourse. It might be healthier for pack order than when everyone constantly slept with each other. And werewolves seldom got attached to the humans. The wolves were rarely interested in a relationship other than the physical aspect, and the human side would soon get restless, too. Even if a werewolf was allowed to interact with humans, it was bad advice to fall in love with one. They would leave you eventually.

Because the wolf would only settle down with their True Mate.

That had been one of the hardest things to believe when Castiel had finally learned more about werewolves. There seemed to be a perfect counterpart for everyone, even though it was rare for them to meet. In Zachariah’s pack there was only one pair of Mates, two betas. Castiel had always envied them; they were certainly the happiest wolves he had ever met. But he still did not know if he ever wanted to meet his own Mate. Meg had explained to him that omegas only fitted with alphas – and Castiel did not want to belong to someone else. It was bad enough that his pack leader expected him to submit to his every wish. His wolf growled a little bit at him every time he thought something like that. _He_ seemed to believe their life would be a lot better if only they found their Mate.

Castiel had slowly learned that there were certain rules all werewolves had to live by. For example, it was only allowed to Change someone if they were on the brink of death, and only with the permission of a Pack Alpha. Otherwise, one would be killed – the usual punishment to any disobedience in the world of werewolves. Alphas often took the lives of pack members if they didn’t obey a direct order, or if their wolf could not be controlled because of rage or a fight. Castiel had thought it was barbaric at first, but after a few weeks, he had seen how dangerous it could get if an alpha lost control of his wolf. The fear of instant death probably helped to keep them in line. It was even more perilous when humans were involved – no Alpha wanted his pack to walk around and kill innocents. Not so much because they cared for the deceased, but because humankind could pose a major threat to the werewolves, since they were only few in numbers compared to all of humanity.   

No killing, no rogue wolves, no Changing without necessity – those ground rules were given by the head of all werewolves – a man who went by the name of Chuck and was supposed to be the first of all shifters. Born, instead of Changed, they said. Of course, Castiel had never seen this Father of Wolves, but he supposedly possessed some overwhelming dominance level, so he could order around even the strongest Alphas.

However, as long as no one broke his rules, the Father never got involved in pack politics.

In the two years Castiel had spent with Zachariah, he had learned that there were some similarities to the way most packs were led, but also differences. For example, most Alphas did not react well to disobedience. Castiel had also found out that omegas usually lived with their Alphas and were often considered their personal property. Liberties that applied to other wolves did not account for omegas. Alphas often wanted to keep their pack away from humans, they all lived in houses and bins near the Alpha and worked all in the same company. Of course, that company – and its profits – would also belong to the Alpha. Castiel had found out a little about some other packs, because their leaders would stay in loose contact with each other, even though they were not overly friendly. But they all knew about the possible threat of humankind, should they ever choose to attack unitedly, and wanted to have at least the possibility of alliances. Zachariah occasionally got visited by Richard Roman, or Rafael, one of the First who supposedly got Changed by Chuck personally.

But Alphas of different packs did not usually behave peaceful with each other – there were often feuds between packs, some of them going on for centuries. Some Alphas just wanted to get bigger, and more powerful. Castiel had heard about the Winchesters – a Pack that was strong and fierce, but also had often gotten attacked in the past, because other Alphas coveted their big territory. But so far, no one had managed to throw the Winchester leader from the throne. Zachariah and Rafael both seemed to think it was foolish to even try – and even though Castiel had never met one of the Winchesters, he was automatically wary by someone even one of the First seemed to fear.

But more often than from an outside threat, the order of a pack changed from within – when another dominant alpha became restless and hungry for power. Like Uriel. And an Alpha was always more vulnerable when the attacker came from his own pack, because in that situation, they could not draw on the power of the bond.

Castiel had been in the house when Zachariah died.

Castiel – and probably every other wolf in his pack – suddenly bled from the mark on his neck. His whole body hurt as someone was pulling forcefully at the strings inside him, and without really wanting to, Castiel ran into Zachariah’s bedroom where his Alpha and Ambriel lay bleeding on the floor.

Uriel was next to them, a majestic grey wolf, blood dropping from his muzzle. He saw Castiel, the first to arrive at the scene, and he let out a victorious howl. The omega felt the moment his Alpha died, and there was a sudden emptiness inside him. The bond did not completely disappear all at once, it was slowly fading, a painful experience. But Castiel had no time to sort his feelings since Uriel charged at him. He smelled the arousal on the big wolf and Castiel changed form as well. Uriel tried to mount him, tried to mark him as his; Castiel as the first member of his new pack. His own pack.

Meg suddenly barged in from out of nowhere and jumped onto Uriel. Together, Meg and Castiel managed to fight him off. Castiel got hopeful. With joyful naivety he had even hoped that Meg would kill Uriel, that Meg, his only friend and an alpha, would become the next pack leader. But before Castiel could even finish his thoughts, while his teeth were still clasped in Uriel’s shin, he felt Meg’s string burst in the remaining echo of his pack bonds. Castiel looked to the side and saw her lifeless body on the floor.

He had wanted to help her. Had wanted to kill Uriel. But in a rare moment of struggling minds, his wolf took control and sprinted out of the house as long as Uriel was still howling on the floor.

The death of an Alpha usually followed weeks and months, if not years, of chaos and in-fighting. Alphas were battling each other for leadership, and often other packs ruled in as well. In the end, Zachariah’s pack got overwhelmed by Rafael, and Uriel was now his Third. Not exactly a step up. But Castiel only heard about that many months later.

On the night of Zachariah’s death, he had only one thought: He was an unclaimed wolf. No pack to submit to and treat him as a servant.

But he should soon experience that life as a lone wolf was not easy, and in the end, not very successful for him.

Castiel hid for months, sleeping in dingy motel rooms and working in various Gas-N-Sips under different names. It was a hard life; he had no friends and the absence of touch made him even more desperate than when he had been with a pack. He had tried to fight against it with some less than satisfactory one-night-stands. He had sometimes even run out in the middle of it, being not even remotely turned on by those complete strangers. Wolf or no, he needed a connection with someone before he wanted to end up in bed with them.

When he thought like that, he imagined what Meg would have said about his prudish nature – and he cried every time he was remembered of his friend who had given her life to save his.

But no matter how miserable and lonely he was as a lone wolf, at least he was alive. And he certainly welcomed that he finally could make his own decisions again – even though that usually only meant to choose between a selection of bad motels and underpaid jobs. He slowly learned to trust his instincts and only settled in cities where they would be no packs for miles and miles. He might not have been happy, but he had grown used to his new life, and someday, he had even stopped looking over his shoulder in fear constantly.

Until he had smiled at a customer of the current gas station he worked in – and his nostrils flared at the strong scent of Werewolf. Meg had told him horrible stories of lone wolves, who abducted unclaimed omegas, so Castiel was relieved when he saw the mark on the man’s neck. Maybe he could reason with him, tell him he was not interested in joining a pack.

But Azazel had seemed overjoyed at finding an unclaimed omega in the middle of nowhere – and threw Castiel into the trunk of his car to bring a nice surprise gift to his Alpha, Lucifer.

 

>>>>><<<<< 

_Present Day_

 

Castiel had only lived in Lucifer’s pack for a few weeks, but it had been enough to realise that it was worse than sharing a bond with Zachariah.

When Lucifer had forced him to kneel so he could get claimed, Castiel had hurt for days; his mark still bled occasionally. Lucifer was not only a tough Alpha, who expected all his orders to be followed, he was vicious and sadistic. He knew from the start that Castiel was scared of him, was scared of what he might ask of him; and he had played with his fears for weeks. Like a cat with a mouse. Castiel had understood within a few days that it would not be enough for this Alpha if he kept his house clean or prepared meals for his wolves.

But Lucifer had not made a direct move instantly; he had obviously enjoyed toying with him too much. He had indicated more than once he might give Castiel to a wolf that had pleased him, or would just use Castiel himself when he had had a bad day – and Lucifer’s eyes sparked every time the omega smelled of fear after his words. In addition to feeling like a trapped mouse, Castiel was even lonelier in this pack than he had been with Zachariah. He would not say he had had any friends there, besides Meg, but at least he had an amiable relationship with the other omegas, and outside from Uriel, most alphas had hardly even acknowledged his presence. Lucifer, however, liked to encourage his pack members to start a fight with almost everyone, and to subdue anyone weaker to position themselves higher in the pack hierarchy.

There was only one alpha who seemed to be unaffected by Lucifer’s challenges – a young boy who had been Changed just weeks before Castiel had arrived. The Alpha seemed to be especially interested in this young man and his potential. Castiel had heard some disturbing rumours – but those couldn’t be true. If Lucifer truly believed them, his age might have finally affected his sanity. Sometimes very old wolves simply lost their minds, unable to keep up with all the changes in the world. But no matter why Lucifer liked to push the boy into challenging and fighting other alphas, Castiel had started to like the young man, who had often sought him out when no one else was around. They had started an odd friendship, both new in the pack, but they had to be careful no one noticed how close they had become. Castiel was scared Lucifer would not only punish him but the boy as well – for interacting with someone so below his status.

He had been scared from the moment Azazel put him into his trunk, but when Lucifer had finally ordered him to his bed, Castiel had still refused. He himself had been surprised at his open defiance. But he did not want to be ordered around anymore – and the months he had spent on his own had somehow hardened him. He had finally had the occasion to get a feeling for his wolf outside of other’s expectations. And he was not submissive. If anything, his wolf felt grouchy and impatient. But not so much that he would be a threat to other people.

Lucifer, like most Alphas, did not tolerate disobedience. And Castiel now had to pay the price for his refusal. The growling shadows got louder, a band of alphas who were ordered to rape him for negating their Leader. But he would fight and clutch and claw until there was nothing left of him.

He was just sad the boy had to witness it.

Castiel tried to turn all the fear and the nervousness of his last three years into rage – as he smashed his fist into Lucifer’s face.

The Alpha cried out in pain, and Castiel’s wolf roared. But his victory was short-lived – he felt hard hands turning him around, then a fist to his own face. He was slammed to the ground, but still trying to hit as many of his attackers as often as he could. He turned into a wolf to gain an advantage, but the others followed quickly. Castiel kept clawing and biting, and he got someone pretty good; Asmodeus, he thought. But his powers were draining and with another punch, he flew to the side. Suddenly, he saw blue eyes right in front of his face – the young wolf had not engaged in the fight and looked like he was undecided of what to do. Castiel desperately hoped he would not try to help him. He didn’t want to have another death on his conscience, especially when he would die anyway.

Suddenly, Lucifer gave out a loud snarl. Everyone, including Castiel, turned towards the Alpha, who was not the only one in human form. Next to him stood a small man with ruffled hair and a gentle smile on his face. The man held a hand up, and all the growling stopped. Everyone let go of Castiel, and the omega wondered why they all listened to the meek looking man.

Then he kneeled down on one leg and held his hand out to Castiel. Wounded as he was, the omega lumped over to him, dragging one foot behind him, until the man touched his muzzle.

Castiel’s wolf felt safe, felt like he belonged – but after what had just happened, Castiel was still suspicious. He sat down on his hindlegs, just out of reach of the man’s arm.

But the Father of Wolves did not seem to be offended. He smiled.

“I believe I know just what to do with you, Castiel.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story will be about 14 chapters long, with roughly 60k words in total. I have already written a complete first draft and only need to edit bits and pieces. I plan to update once or twice a week (depending on how much time I find).
> 
> As always: English is not my first language so please forgive me my mistakes.


	2. Chapter 2

**TWO**

 

“So, like I said, Winchester, I wish you the best of luck with that troublemaker. Can’t say I’m sorry he’s _your_ problem now.”

The call ended with a sudden dial tone that hurt Dean’s ears. He could almost feel his inner wolf twitch indignantly. But the sound was not as disturbing as the news beforehand.

Another troublemaker. Great. Just what he needed.

A minute later, his brother Sam found him like that in his private office: rubbing his hands over his temples like he was fighting a migraine. As if werewolves could have those. It was one of the upsides of sharing your body with a beast – you never got sick, and even most injuries healed quickly.

“Problem, Dean?”

“Yes, big one.” Dean could feel his wolf grumbling in anger again, but he tried to ignore him. “I just called Uriel to get some information about our soon-to-be pack member.”

“Uriel? You called _Uriel_?”

“Yeah. He’s been in the same pack when this…”, Dean frowned as he searched in his mind for the weird name, “… _Castiel_ got Changed. And Uriel was still there when he fled and ran away. Since this omega’s gonna be in three packs in just as many years as a wolf, I thought I’d rather get some intel on him.”

“And you trust Uriel to give you that? _Uriel_?”

“Hey, I’m not saying I like the douchebag, but we are not hostile with him either. And Zachariah wasn’t so bad.” Sam raised an eyebrow at Dean. “Okay, he was a dick. But name me one pack alpha who isn’t. And from what I learned today, this omega has been making trouble since day one.”

“Like what?”

“Like not following orders. Uriel called him _insubordinate and unwilling to accommodate to pack customs_ – his words. And to top it off: He was probably even involved in killing his Alpha in collaboration with that Meg Masters who started the revolt. They seemed to have been close friends and were unhappy with how Zach handled things. I mean, that’s exactly what we need, a wolf plotting the murder of his Alpha.” He looked at Sam almost accusingly. “That would be me, in case you forgot.”

Sam sighed, went to the small fridge and took out two beers. He handed one to Dean and sat down on the other side of the desk, opening his own bottle.

“How could I ever forget my brother is the high and mighty leader of this pack,” Sam said in a joking tone, and Dean snorted. Then Sam’s expression got serious and Dean knew he would have to listen to one of his brother’s thought-out advice. He groaned inwardly. It was not that Sam was never right – in fact, he was right more often than not – but that didn’t mean Dean usually liked what the beta had to say. “I definitely don’t want anyone here who will try to bring chaos, Dean. And I know as well as you that a wolf has to live by our rules. I’m only saying… don’t trust Uriel. The whole affair of Zachariah’s death had been a bit strange. I mean, as far as I’ve heard, this Meg was not dominant enough to take on a whole pack anyway. So why should she have attacked Zachariah? Uriel seems a much more likeable culprit. Or maybe Meg had a good reason to attack him. You’re right that Zachariah was not as bad as other alphas, but that does not mean I would have liked to live in his pack either. So, Dean… let’s keep an open mind about this Castiel, okay? And don’t start yelling at him _before_ he does anything wrong. It might not be his fault that his life as a werewolf has been a bit… tumultuous so far.”

Dean scoffed. “Not his fault, eh? You mean that wolf who a) was possibly involved in the killing of his Alpha, then b) hid himself for half a year – which, by the way, does not make him look any more innocent – and then c) got into a fight with his new Alpha and five of his strongest wolves.”

His brother’s face suddenly darkened. “We’re talking about Lucifer here, Dean. _You_ could get into a fight with Lucifer even if the two of you were on different planets, let alone in the same pack.” Sam licked his lips. “Believe me, living in a pack with Lucifer is no treat. He is old, Dean.” The Alpha looked at his brother, who glanced down to his balling fists, and Dean felt a sudden trace of guilt in his chest. But before he could say anything, Sam added: “You know how those old alphas regard omegas. This Castiel might have just tried to defend himself. With all your stupid alpha ideas of how a pack has to follow orders, _you_ certainly don’t believe that any omega is your personal possession.” Sam shot Dean a sharp look with a little splash of doubt that almost hurt the Alpha. Then Sam’s expression softened. “But Lucifer is different. This Castiel is probably less a danger to our peace as he might be intimidated, or even badly hurt. I certainly would not want to take on a handful of Lucifer’s wolves.”

Dean hid his face in his hands again. “Yeah, I know, Sammy, but … putting it all together, he sounds like a real troublemaker.” With a wary look at his brother he confessed what was troubling him the most: “He might even be a spy for Lucifer. It does sound like something that prick would do, right? Send us someone who looks all innocent just to plan another attack.”

Dean had feared that the moment he had heard about this Castiel. Lucifer had had his eyes on Dean’s pack for decades now – in fact, he had tried to take over right after Dean had taken the reigns about thirty years ago. And even once before. Sam and Dean exchanged a meaningful look. There was a sudden tension between them that the Alpha’s wolf did not like. His wolf did not understand guilt, or holding grudges.

There was a long enough silence for Dean to fear that he had unsettled his brother with his theory, but then Sam replied calmly: “Lucifer did not call us to take him, Dean; it was Chuck. And I’d say Lucifer was less than happy about it.” Dean still wanted to argue, even though he knew his brother made perfect sense and the possibility that Castiel Novak was a spy seemed close to zero, but Sam deflected him with another question: “Why would Chuck ask you to claim this omega anyway?”

Dean threw his hands in the air in exasperation. “First, Chuck didn’t _ask_ me to do anything – he told me so. And second: To torture me, of course! What do you think he is doing? This is the third strange case he has brought to our doorstep in less than a year.”

Sam had a soft smile on his lips, and Dean was grateful that he didn’t say anything, even though he clearly wanted to. But Sam’s look was loud enough. They had been over this a hundred times during the last couple of years. Sam thought that Chuck somehow trusted the Winchesters, that he brought them good wolves who deserved a better life. But Dean was not so sure. There were a lot of packs out there. He admitted that Sam was partly right – some, like Lucifer’s, were more vicious than others – but it was not like Dean led a reintegration centre for traumatised wolves with included cuddle therapies. He was certainly not fit for that role. Though Sam might, with his calm demeanour and rational actions. But apart from the fact that he did not understand why Chuck would so often reach out to him, there was also another matter that irritated Dean about Chuck’s meddling. He did not understand why the Father got involved in the first place – or rather, why he did not _always_ get involved when one of his kind was mistreated. Alphas like Lucifer should not be allowed to lead a pack to begin with. And in Dean’s opinion, it was Chuck´s job to make sure all of the wolves were healthy and well. He could probably smite Lucifer with a snap of his finger if he wanted to.

Dean had become more and more short-tempered with the so-called Father of Wolves. He knew that most packs never got so much as a phone call from him, but he seemed to enjoy checking in on the Winchesters quite regularly. And every time Dean was getting comfortable again, and his pack was in perfect order once more, Chuck brought new chaos to his doorstep. In this year alone, he had brought him Claire, a strong alpha who had been Changed much too young and had been hardly able to control her wolf – who by the way acted like she would like to start her own pack as soon as possible. And Kevin, an omega who had been mistreated by his old pack. Every time his pack had become used to the newest addition, the order was slightly disrupted again, and Dean had to show the ropes to yet another newcomer. Kevin’s case had been especially tough on him – Dean still didn’t want the boy to live anywhere else but his house. Sometimes he wished Chuck had brought him to another pack, maybe Billy’s or Anna’s. But no, the Father would always turn to Sam and Dean.

Dean felt his wolf react to his anger with his own fury, reprimanding him for his thoughts. His wolf was protective of every member of his pack and he would not allow even Dean to think of them as a burden. Not that Dean would ever truly believe that. He valued his pack just as much as his wolf.

What he didn’t value, however, was when someone else tried to interfere with his pack’s order.

“But you have to admit, Claire and Kevin both have settled in nicely,” Sam brought Dean’s mind back to their conversation. “And Chuck just sent another omega, Dean. An omega. I mean, most Alphas would celebrate.”

Dean, however, did not celebrate. He thought back to the day when Chuck had brought him Kevin. The boy had been hurt, nearly dead. And Dean’s wolf had howled out in rage. The omega had recovered by now, but he still hardly ever looked into Dean’s eyes for longer than a second. And every time Kevin would give off even the slightest whiff of fear – though fortunately, it didn’t happen very often by now –, Dean had to put a leash on his wolf before he stormed to Kevin’s old pack and ripped into every alpha he found.

“Dean,” Sam said, and it sounded like he had tried to get his brother’s attention for a while.

Dean sighed, suddenly tired. “So, I guess this Castiel could either be a traitor, a spy for Lucifer, or just some poor guy who had bad luck with his packs.” Dean looked at Sam with a fake smile. “Want to place any bets?”

Sam huffed out a humourless laugh, but before he could answer – undoubtedly to reprimand his brother for the poor joke – the Alpha’s phone vibrated. Dean looked down at the text and groaned: “Chuck just sent me the address of the motel our newbie is currently occupying. Great, can’t even bring him to us. Can’t be bothered with something like that, I guess… And it’s a four-hour drive,” Dean ended with a childlike whine.

Sam stood and shot his brother a stern look. “Let me go get him. I have the day off anyway, and you promised Claire to give her another hunting lesson today.” Dean groaned again; this time it was clearly overacted, however. He would not admit it to his brother, or anyone else, but he liked spending time with the fierce girl. She was a fast learner and for her age surprisingly responsible, no matter how much she acted like a madcap at times. Dean sometimes thought she resembled him a bit, when he had been that young.

Sam’s frown turned to a smile as Dean was not able to hide his anticipation from him. “Jody asked me to tell you she would like to watch. I think she fears you might teach Claire something stupid.” He clapped Dean on the shoulder, both wolves enjoying the touch. “Have fun with the girls. And just be patient with our newcomer, Dean. This Castiel might even turn out to be a real asset.”

“Yeah, sure,” Dean grumbled without conviction.

 

>>><<< 

 

While Sam was away to pick up one Castiel Novak, Dean walked down to the second floor of the huge pack quarter. He picked one door and entered the small apartment right beneath his own bedroom. It wasn’t that much, but it should offer enough space for one person for a while. The apartment consisted basically of one large room with a bed, a closet, a table with four chairs, a narrow sofa and even a small kitchenette. There was a TV, and a shelve with books, DVDs and CDs of various tastes that made it look a little bit more like a home. Dean did not know what their newcomer would bring with him; in his experience, they often had no more than the clothes on their body. It was a wide misconception by most humans that werewolves were all rich – usually, the packs had money, but not necessarily its members. Dean quickly stepped into the bathroom next door. It could only be entered through the living room and not the big hallway, to grant the new shifters some privacy. All in all, the apartments in the house were meant to give a new wolf enough room to spend as much time by themselves as they wanted to if they weren’t in the mood for company. Or if they simply weren’t ready.

Two decades ago, Dean had started to bring every new pack member into his home for a while – how long that while would be depended a lot on each shifter and how fast they integrated into their new family. And even if Dean deemed them ready to have their own place, he never made anyone leave his house if they didn’t want to. Garth had stayed for years, on his own wish. He had only started to think about an own home after he had met his Mate, Bess.

Dean wanted to keep a new wolf close, needed to get used to their scents and learn their habits. It was easier for him to handle a shifter if he knew early on how they ticked. He didn’t make anyone do anything – they could eat and drink in the big kitchen with the others or stay in their own rooms. But he wanted to feel them close. Every new member felt different. He remembered how feisty Claire had been, challenging everyone around her and easily enraged because no one seemed to take her seriously. It would change with time, but there would probably always be a sting. She just looked too young, and even werewolves themselves could get deceived by appearances. But Claire was strong; Dean had no doubt she would show them all. He felt a little smile tug at his lips when he thought how Claire had been living in this very room just a few weeks ago.

He felt a new presence behind him, and stayed completely still, wondering what the other shifter would do.

“Dean? What are you doing in here?”

Dean’s smile widened. Half a year ago, Kevin would never have stopped at the door and asked his Alpha a question out of the blue. He was getting more and more relaxed, and Dean’s wolf let out a pleased rumble. Or maybe his curiosity just got the best of him – everyone knew Dean had this strange habit of inspecting an apartment before a new pack member would move in. And most of them probably guessed that he was deliberately letting his scent linger in the air to make it easier for them to settle in. At least he had been told that it was helpful. Dean slowly turned around to face Kevin.

“Well, I hope you don’t mind having a new neighbour. Chuck is sending us a another one.” A tiny remnant of his previous anger slipped into his tone at the last sentence.

Kevin twitched visibly, and Dean could have slapped himself. One of the most recent _another ones_ Chuck sent them had been Kevin himself – a scared, beaten omega. Dean would never forget how Kevin had looked at him when he walked him to the cellar to get him a pair of useful boots after he had just been able to walk again. Like Dean was leading him to a sex torture dungeon or something of the kind.

He hoped his voice sounded gentler when he added: “His name is Castiel. He’s an omega and he’ll arrive tonight.”

“Well, I don’t mind having someone new here. It got a bit quiet on this floor since Claire moved out. And with Charlie ready to leave again…” Kevin ended with a shrug.

Dean walked up to Kevin and suddenly pulled him towards him in a half-embrace. His wolf worried if Kevin got enough attention. He stayed away from most of the other wolves. But Dean thought he was close with Charlie and Jody, even Sam and him. And for some strange reason, he was handling Crowley pretty well.

“You lonely here, Kev?”

“No. This house is always crowded. When I feel lonely, I can just go downstairs.”

Dean nodded. But still, Kevin looked a bit happier after Dean had let go of him. And Dean had to admit, he felt more balanced as well.

The power of an omega. Sam had been right – most alphas would celebrate to get another one. They were rare, and helpful. Alphas were usually drawn to them, because they made everything easier. Controlling a whole pack of wolves was a lot simpler with some omegas in the mix. But Dean already had enough omegas – there were Kevin, Jody, Cesar and Alex.

Before he had become the Alpha of his own pack, Dean had never really understood what made omegas quite so special. For him, they had felt like any other wolves – more balanced, yes. But he had thought they were just lucky. But as an Alpha, with a capital A, he had quickly learned that omegas were important for pack safety. Dean not only never had to worry that they might lose control of their wolves. Because they just wouldn’t. But when he had to work on other wolves that were about to break free, Dean could also draw on the omega’s ability to live in peace with their animal side, which automatically grounded everyone around him.

He knew that most Alphas wanted to keep their omegas close – and Dean could relate to that. He was glad that Kevin had decided to stay in the house for now, and that Jody lived right next door. It was handy to have them nearby in case Dean needed an omega to calm the whole pack. It also helped with his own protective strike. He could easily admit that he had a soft spot for omegas and would not tolerate if anyone tried to hurt them.

Dean knew that omegas were not weaker or more cowardly than other wolves – hell, if he ever only _insinuated_ that he thought Jody might be any less capable in a fight than his alphas, she would totally kick his ass. But it was not their strength in a fight that was so important for a pack, it was their balance. And for some reason, a hurt omega was so much more horrible for him than any other pack member.

And now he had a new one to look out for. Possibly even a troublemaker. It was hard enough for Dean when his orders were ignored by anyone else in his pack, but by an omega? That would just make him scared. And it was never good when his wolf got scared.

He had lost too many of his shifters already – in a fight, or when their wolf broke loose and Dean had to kill them himself. Dean closed his eyes and opened them quickly again when he saw Benny’s face. His best friend, and Third in the pack for a long time. And Dean had had to kill him after Benny’s wolf had taken control and his friend was no longer reasonable; just after he had saved Sammy. It still felt like Dean had had to choose between a brother and a friend. He feared Benny would turn over in his grave if he knew Crowley had taken his place as Third. Crowley. Dean needed to talk to the cunning alpha again – maybe he had been able to find out more about their newcomer and his past. He almost hoped Castiel would be a troublemaker, for it would be even worse if he would be as timid and scared as Kevin had been in the beginning.

“Dean? Are you all right?”

Dean had almost forgotten that he was not alone. He looked down at Kevin and tried to smile.

“Yeah, everything’s fine, kid.”

“Then I’ll go downstairs and look for a laptop for our new family member. I should install everything important right away.”

Dean chuckled. Kevin was almost as bad as Charlie. Worst thing that could happen to you: Being offline for a whole day. He followed the young man downstairs and was met by a blond girl at the entrance to the house.

“Dean! Finally! You’re late.”

Dean raised an eyebrow and looked at Claire until she dropped her eyes. It might not have been the nicest thing to do, but his wolf would not tolerate that tone from a little pup, no matter how dominant she thought she might be.

“Well, you are,” Claire grumbled to the ground, and Dean chuckled, suddenly feeling a lot lighter than before, almost optimistic – and that did not happen very often.

His new pack member might be a troublemaker or an intimidated pup. No matter what, Dean would handle it.

After all, both Claire and Kevin had turned out all right.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our boys will meet in the next chapter. ;-)


	3. Chapter 3

**THREE**

 

Castiel sat on the bed and tried to get his nerves under control. When Chuck had appeared out of nowhere right the moment he had accepted his imminent death, he had thought he was saved. But now, he was not so sure anymore. The Father of Wolves had hardly talked to him in almost a week. He had simply told him to pack a few things – Castiel was quickly done with that task since he hardly owned more than three sets of clothing after leaving all his stuff behind three times in two years already. Then they had gotten into an old and run-down car together and Chuck had not stopped driving until they reached a motel that looked no better than the ones Castiel had turned to when he had tried to hide from other werewolves. They had not exchanged one word all the way. Which was not that surprising, because Castiel had still been hurting and needed time to recover from his injuries. The presence of another wolf, a strong Alpha who at least regularly touched his shoulder, helped a lot, but still Castiel did not manage to stay conscious for the whole drive. He could not even be sure how long they had been on the road, though he thought it must have been hours.

The next three days, Castiel was mostly lying on a bed, healing slowly. He had not realised before that he was injured quite so badly, and every wound he had had as a werewolf before had always healed quickly. Maybe it was because he was no longer with a pack, Castiel assumed in a haze as he slept even through a Full Moon. Chuck had left him alone as soon as Castiel stumbled onto the bed that first night. He had no idea where the Father went, but on the second day, Castiel felt an excruciating pain in his head as the pack bond was cut abruptly – so he thought Chuck must have talked to Lucifer at some point in his absence, ordering him to let Castiel go.

Otherwise, the time passed uneventfully, with Castiel mostly lying on the bed, recovering from the loss of the pack bond, and his wounds. He even indulged in hours of self-pity that turned into anger at some point, because Chuck had not told him what his plans were, exactly. At least there was some food, juice and water stored in the motel room, so Castiel did not starve.

On the fourth day he spent in the motel room, when he felt mostly recovered and suddenly hungry for something that wasn’t wrapped in plastic, Castiel contemplated to just get his bag and walk away. Chuck had left him here for days with no instruction or hint about what would happen next. He was unmarked again, and maybe this time, if he was more careful, he could go undetected for a longer time-period. But he had no money, and the thought of starting all over again with nothing more than two sets of clothes in a bag did not feel too tempting. He would never feel free, for he would have to look over his shoulder all his life, scared that someone would just snatch him again. And, if he were completely honest, he did not _want_ to live on his own again. He wanted a pack, a family. His feelings of abandonment and the slow healing process had shown him how hard it was to live on his own. But then again, if not for his last pack, he would not have had the injuries in the first place.

Maybe he should start slow, by finding out where he was and how he could get away from this place.

Castiel had just showered and dressed, ready to finally leave the room, when the door suddenly opened, and Chuck stepped in, looking as dishevelled as always. Seriously, no one would ever guess this short unobtrusive man was the Father of Wolves.

“Ah, Castiel, you are already good to go. Great. You’ll get picked up any minute now, I guess.”

Castiel looked at him, confused. “Picked up to… where?”

“I found you a new pack. The Winchesters.”

Castiel shivered. He had heard that name before. The Winchesters were a big and powerful pack. Zachariah had been almost scared of them, and Lucifer seemed to outright hate them – a fact that showed Castiel more than anything else that they must be strong, and dangerous. Lucifer would not have cared for some unimportant shifters. Castiel frowned. When Chuck had saved him, he had not expected that he would just be ushered from one pack to another. Well, he did consider Chuck might try to find a new home for him. But he had imagined, after he went through the trouble to save him, Chuck would place him in some small pack that lived a happy, unobtrusive life. Those had to exist, right? Not all Alphas could be complete assbutts, like Zachariah or Lucifer.

“I … ahem… I am grateful, that you saved me from Lucifer’s goons, Alpha. But I thought I would now… I don’t know… go back to being on my own… Sir.” Castiel added when he remembered whom he was talking to. The man in front of him just didn’t look like the master of all Alphas, so it was easy to forget how dominant he was, even for another werewolf.

“I’m sorry, Castiel, but that won’t be possible. It’s a dangerous world for any lone wolf. And for an omega… I fear you would just end up in someone else’s trunk before the year is over. Or worse yet, another lone wolf might find you. And if a rogue alpha gets to an unmarked omega, it never goes well.” Castiel wanted to say that it had not exactly ended well for him the last times he did get claimed by a pack, but Chuck clapped into his hands like the discussion was over. There was even an excited smile on his face. “Now, Sam will be here any minute. He is the Second of the Winchester pack and will take you straight to your new home. And then Dean can claim you before the day is over… and you’re safe from any rogue wolves or other packs.”

Castiel wanted to object, wanted to argue, but when his eyes met Chuck’s he dropped his gaze to the floor immediately.

“And the Winchesters are not so bad. You will be in good hands there, I think,” Chuck’s smile widened and Castiel wondered why he seemed so excited. Then Chuck’s face fell. “I mean, Dean can be pretty harsh. He just yelled at me on the phone, because I asked him to take you in. Can you believe that?” Chuck looked even less like the Father of Wolves in that moment; he looked like a pouting child. “After all that I did for him.” Chuck suddenly frowned and Castiel had the impression he was listening to something. But since Castiel could not hear anything other than Chuck, he might have imagined it. Then suddenly, the Alpha clapped him on the shoulder. “Okay, now. Good luck, Castiel.”

Chuck opened the door, and before Castiel could even blink, the Father was gone.

For just the fracture of a second, Castiel contemplated to pick up his things and run. But he could hear a car parking right out of the door, and he had no doubt that this would be the person to pick him up.

And sure enough, a moment later, there was a loud knock on the door.

“Castiel Novak? This is Sam, Second of the Winchester Pack. Chuck called us to pick you up.”

With a fluttering heart, Castiel opened the door. He suddenly stood in front of a ridiculously tall man, who made Castiel feel small and weak just by standing next to him. But what was more surprising: This giant was a beta. Castiel had never heard of a beta being so far up in ranks in any pack.

“Castiel?” Sam reached out his hand. “Hello. Good to meet you.”

Castiel took the offered hand and mumbled a greeting.

Sam looked Castiel over, who was already wearing his shoes and coat, small bag by his side, and then let his eyes wander over the whole room with the empty bottles and wrappers of various foods.

“Boy, that looks like you have been living on cereal and beef jerky for a week.”

Castiel only shrugged.

“How about we go and grab something to eat first? It’s a few hours’ ride and we don’t want to keep our wolves hungry. It’s not safe.”

And so, instead of going to the car directly, Castiel followed the stranger to the next diner. He had to admit he felt ravished. Sam had tried to make small talk on the way, but Castiel had only given one-syllable answers. He was confused. Castiel had learned that high-ranking wolves usually did not like it when omegas talked too much. Betas were often more approachable, at least that had been the case in Zachariah’s old pack. Since Sam was both a beta and a Second – Castiel really did not know how to treat him. And he still did not know how he wanted to appear in his new pack. It had happened so sudden, Castiel had had no time to think of a strategy yet. Did he want to act compliant to not anger his new pack from the start – or was it better to show them right away that he would not submit to any alpha? Because Castiel was sure about one thing: He would not simply bow down to his new Alpha’s every wish, just like he had denied Lucifer.

Sam ordered half of the menu for them, and Castiel tugged in. He had to admit he felt a lot better after he was full. He could not remember the last time he had eaten that much – Lucifer had liked it when his wolves were always a little bit hungry. He had said it made them more entertaining – by which he probably meant _unpredictable_ and _violent_.

Sam had chattered amiably during their meal, and Castiel learned that the man was a lawyer and Dean’s biological brother. It was something else that confused him – he had never met wolves that were family before. Whenever Sam directed a question at him, Castiel pretended to have his mouth full and answered only with a nod or shaking his head.

When they finally sat in the car, there was a long silence between the men. As the scenery went by the window, Sam looked over at Castiel more and more often, with a concerned frown. Castiel had still not replied in whole sentences even once. While they were driving, he could not help but noticing that the beta smelled good. He even seemed genuinely nice, which almost unsettled Castiel for some strange reason. It would have been easier for him if Sam was not the pack’s Second but rather someone less important who had been given the ungrateful task to pick the omega up.

“Castiel… are you… hurt?”

Castiel looked up in surprise – the beta seemed hesitant, like he did not want to startle Castiel.

“No. I was… but I am healed now.” Castiel finally managed a whole sentence, short as it might have been.

Sam cleared his throat. “Chuck mentioned you got into a fight with some wolves in your old pack. How did that happen?”

Castiel thought long about an answer. Should he be honest, or should he try to present himself as a docile omega, in hopes this would save him some more trouble. But then he remembered something Chuck had said – something about that Dean Winchester was not too happy about a new addition to his pack. Maybe, if they knew that something was wrong with him, that he wasn’t a proper omega, they would not take him in. Maybe they would let him go. And Castiel was about done to pretend to be submissive – not that he had ever really tried. He had mostly settled for _invisible_. Chuck had saved him once and ordered him to the Winchester Pack, so Castiel hoped they would just let him leave instead of punishing him the same way Lucifer had intended to do. Castiel had no idea why Chuck had come for him, but he probably did not want the Winchesters to give him the same treatment. That was at least one glimmer of hope.

“My Alpha asked something of me that I was not willing to give. He tried to punish me for disobeying him. Then the Father came and took me with him,” Castiel answered in clipped off sentences.

Sam seemed deep in thought for a while.

“You know why Chuck got you out?”

“No. He didn’t say. He hardly talked to me at all.”

“Yeah, that sounds like him. He can be really uptight when it comes to information.”

Another round of silence followed in which Sam seemed to think about something else to say. Castiel just kept glancing at the driver. His lack of reaction to Castiel’s explanation intrigued him. But maybe the beta was not supposed to interrogate Castiel without his Alpha present. Sam suddenly smiled as Castiel looked at him for the third time in just as many minutes.

“It’s all right, Castiel. You can ask.”

There was a pause, but Sam just kept smiling, and so Castiel mumbled finally: “You’re a beta.”

“Yeah,” Sam replied, even though Castiel had merely stated the obvious.

“And you’re Second of the Pack,” Castiel said instead of a question.

“Yes. We believe that a good leadership needs more than just physical strength. Dean and I work well as a team – he is good at making decisions that benefit us all, but sometimes it’s useful to have me around to give him a little nudge in the right direction, I guess.” Sam chuckled, but sobered up quickly. “We trust each other, and the pack trusts us.”

Castiel frowned again. He looked out of the window and Sam did not try to talk to him for a while, noticing how lost in thought the omega was.

Trust. Castiel had never heard before that this was important for a pack. Or that being a good leader meant more than just being the toughest Alpha.

Maybe those Winchesters were not so bad, Castiel thought almost grudgingly. And maybe, if they could live with a beta as the Second in the hierarchy, they might even have a place for a strong-minded omega.

It was only hours after he had been in the presence of Sam Winchester that Castiel noticed his wolf seemed to be completely at ease since the man had knocked on his door.

 

>>><<< 

 

Just when his legs had begun to feel numb from sitting in the car for so long, Castiel felt they were passing the barrier of the Winchester territory. He had calmed down considerately during the drive, but now his nerves fluttered again, and his mouth suddenly was very dry. The drive had been endlessly long and much too short at the same time. And it didn’t help that Castiel suddenly felt oddly unwelcome – even though he knew that was not so much because of anyone’s personal feelings, but because he was on a strange territory of a pack he didn’t belong to.

Well, that would soon change.

They arrived at a big house at the end of a one-way-street. Castiel got out of the car, supressing the urge to vomit from sheer agitation. His stomach always acted up when he got nervous. He looked up and studied his new home. The building was nothing like the headquarters of the last pack alphas he had lived with. It was no impressive mansion, just an insanely big country-style house. There was a big porch up front and Castiel could see a wide meadow and a forest beginning behind it. His heartrate picked up for a second. Even though they were in the outskirts of a big city, it felt almost rural. He had always thought that the centre of a pack should be close to a forest. It was late evening in spring, so it was chilly outside, but the air smelled wonderful and Castiel suddenly longed to take off his shoes and walk barefoot through the damp grass. He hoped he would be allowed to change form more often here – the thought of just running into the trees almost made him smile, despite his nerves.

“Come on, Castiel. Dean must be waiting already.”

His almost-smile vanishing from his face, Castiel followed the beta inside. He had to remind himself that he did not want to look like a scared omega, so he squared his shoulders and raised his chin a fraction.

They stepped into the hall, with stairs leading up. The impression from the outside seemed confirmed – the house did not look posh or elegant, it was rather pragmatic and --- warm. But Castiel hardly had the time to look around as he suddenly picked up different scents and heard laughter and voices. There was wood and an overlying werewolf scent that Castiel liked immediately in the air, but his nose also picked up a lot of other people. He had not been prepared to feel so many shifters in the house. Was this claiming some kind of pack event? Castiel hoped not. He looked to one side where the door was halfway open to what seemed to be a huge kitchen. There was a small crowd sitting around the table, chatting and eating; but they were so busy with each other, they did not even seem to notice the newcomers. Or maybe they were just pretending very hard. Either way, Sam did not pay them any attention either. He led Castiel into the other direction, through a comfortable looking living room that seemed to be able to hold twenty people easily on couches and chairs. One side was almost all glass – with a wonderful view towards the forest. Even though it was already dark, Castiel did not think it looked scary, but inviting. He could feel his wolf give an excited bark at the prospect of an inspection run.

But his joy was quickly tramped down when Sam knocked at a door.

A deep and gruff voice answered: “Come in, Sammy.”

It was a small room with a couple of chairs around a desk and a narrow sofa on the other end. Inside waited two men and a woman, and with the two newcomers, it felt crowded. Castiel had no difficulty to pick out who his new Alpha was. Dean Winchester had that aura of command around him that was typical for almost any pack leader.

The Alpha stood up and towered over Castiel as he looked him up and down like Sam had done hours before. He was probably not much taller than the omega, but he felt bigger than he looked. Also typical for an Alpha. Dean’s expression seemed contemplative, like he was trying to come to some conclusion. Castiel wished he could guess what the man made of him.

Finally, Dean looked into his face, and Castiel held his eyes longer than was proper, in a conscious attempt to show this man he was no submissive servant. It was not even hard – with Lucifer and Zachariah, Castiel always had to fight against his instincts, but with the man in front of him, he felt like he almost couldn’t look away. After a moment, Dean only raised an eyebrow and finally Castiel looked to the ground, feeling strangely embarrassed, like he had been caught trying to ogle the Alpha instead of making a point.

Dean Winchester was definitely worth looking at. Castiel could imagine how, if he had met him when he had still been human, he would come to the same café at the same time every day, hoping he would get another glimpse at the handsome man, while he would probably not even notice him in return. Either because it was just his luck that a guy like that would not be interested in men, or only not interested in Castiel. Any why would he be? Such a man probably had to fight off a crowd of groupies every day. His inner wolf growled silently at that idea, which had Castiel frown at the strong reaction.

“Castiel?”

Castiel looked up and noticed that four pairs of eyes were fixed on him. He blushed deeply. Whatever he had expected his first meeting with his new Alpha to be like, he had certainly never imagined he would be lost in a daydream three seconds in.

Sam smiled, and Castiel hoped he thought his strange behaviour had more to do with nerves than anything else.

“This is my brother and pack leader, Dean.” Sam pointed at the man in front of Castiel, and the Alpha somehow seemed more relaxed than when they had entered the room. Dean nodded in a silent greeting, then Sam turned to his right. “This is Crowley, the Third in Command. And here is also Jody, a long-time pack member and the best person to turn to when you have any questions.”

Castiel looked at the woman who met his eyes with a gentle smile. She was another omega, and Castiel subtly relaxed. This Jody seemed to be in a position of respect, Castiel could see that much. If only because she seemed to be completely at ease with being in a room with the three highest ranking wolves of the pack.

“So… Castiel… before I’m gonna claim you as one of mine, I have a few questions. Chuck mentioned you had some problems in your old packs. You even attacked at least one of your former Alphas directly.” Those were the first words his new Alpha directed at Castiel. And within a second, Castiel got nervous again. He saw how Sam shot his brother a look that almost seemed to be a reprimand. Dean just rolled his eyes at him, but then took a step backwards so he was not crowding in on Castiel anymore. But his tone was still gruff as he added: “Care to tell me what that was all about?”

Castiel did not know what irritated him so much. The authoritative tone, the fact that this Alpha expected him to answer all his questions complaisantly, no matter how personal they might be, or simply that Castiel had had enough of being pushed around by dictatorial Alphas.

Whatever it was, he looked up to meet the Alpha’s eyes again and answered in a rough voice: “My last Alpha thought that just because I’m an omega, I should submit to his every wish. I didn’t agree. I might have cleaned and cooked like I was supposed to do, without complaining. But when he tried to force me to sleep with him, I denied him. He wanted to punish me by throwing me to his wolves. I had nothing to lose, so I punched him.”

“And pretty hard from what I heard. Luci’s been spotting a black eye for days,” Crowley said in a cheery tone that perplexed Castiel. The alpha seemed to enjoy Castiel’s story and even winked at him. Dean just kept looking at him with an unreadable expression. But there was the distinct sent of alpha rage in the air.

Castiel only now fully realised what he had just said and he wished he could take back the words. Maybe a little bit of diplomacy would have been wise. He ducked a little, almost expecting a blow. Some kind of warning that disobedience would not be tolerated in this pack. Maybe the Alpha would even yell at him that it was his job to submit to his superiors.

But all Dean finally said was: “Huh.”

Castiel looked up and was surprised that Dean did not look angry at all. If anything, he seemed --- impressed.

Jody chuckled. “I’m just glad I put my money on troublemaker.”

Castiel ducked his head again as he imagined what the comment meant – that was not at all how he had intended to come across. Jody’s tone might have been humorous, but he certainly did not want the Alpha to think he would cause trouble. Dean side-glanced Jody, and then turned back to Castiel, clicking his tongue. 

“What about Zachariah? I talked to Uriel and he seems to think you somehow helped Meg Masters to kill your old Alpha and then ran away?”

Castiel’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth a few times like a goldfish. He didn’t know how to respond. He had never heard that Uriel claimed _Meg_ had killed their former Alpha, not to mention that Castiel had helped her. New rage rose inside of him, but it was not directed at Dean this time, and he managed to sound calm as he answered. He knew he was skating on thin ice here, and he had no idea what kind of relationship Dean Winchester had with Uriel. But he felt encouraged by the almost kind look Dean had given him when he had talked about Lucifer.

“I don’t know what Uriel told you, but Meg did not kill Zachariah. It was Uriel himself. I was in the house at the time it happened but too late to help my former Alpha. I fled shortly afterwards, because I was afraid of Uriel. Meg helped me escape, but she died saving me,” Castiel felt a lump in his throat as he talked about his old friend. Then he even felt the need to clear her name from any doubt in her integrity: “The pack bonds had already faded, so Meg did not act against her Alpha’s will, nor did she attack her superior.” Castiel looked at Dean again, then back to the floor, his voice firm: “And that is the truth.”

Dean and Sam exchanged another look – the beta seemed almost smug while Dean had a contemplative expression. Just when Castiel expected to be confronted with a blast of questions or accusations, Dean seemed to come to some form of conclusion in his mind, shrugged and changed the subject abruptly.

“Let’s forget about Lucifer and Zach for a moment. Assuming you are telling the truth, you can find a new home with us.” Dean licked his lips and Castiel was surprised he would just wave off his explanations so easily. “But if I’m gonna claim you, you need to know the rules. I’m the Alpha of this pack and I’ll expect you to follow my orders. Capiche?” Castiel nodded timidly. Maybe he had misjudged Dean’s expression before. Sam cleared his throat, loudly, and this time it was obviously meant as a sign towards his brother. They exchanged another look, and Dean’s tone was less harsh when he added: “That means when things get tense and I tell you to run, you run. Or if I need your help with another pack member, you’ll come to me without hesitation. I don’t…”, he cleared his throat uncomfortably, “I don’t expect any … _personal_ services”, Dean actually blushed at those words, “and so will no one else in this pack. You can live your life however you chose. If anyone tries to touch you in any way you’re not comfortable with, you come to me, right? Or you just throw another punch. That usually works as well.”

This time, Castiel was sure he saw the lips of the Alpha twitch. He felt immediately relieved. He didn’t know why, but he believed the Alpha. There would have been no reason for him to lie – and more importantly, Castiel’s wolf trusted the man. For some reason, he even liked his direct-if-a-little-gruff approach on these topics. He preferred them at least to Lucifer’s flowery language that hardly hid the menace behind his words and always sounded like he was making a threat.

“We have a room ready for you to move in. It’s nothing personal, but I insist that all my new wolves live under my roof in the beginning. It will help us both to get used to each other. You can move out once we feel like it’s time.”

Castiel looked up into Dean’s face, surprised at the insinuation that he would be allowed to have his own place one day. But Castiel was even more surprised by the reaction of his wolf. _He_ was not happy at that prospect. His wolf wanted to stay as close to the Alpha as possible. Castiel blinked.

“And if you want to speed things up, I suggest turning up some opera from morning to night so our mighty Alpha has to listen to Puccini all day long.”

Dean shot Crowley a dirty glare, but Castiel was not sure if it was because he had interrupted him, or because of some memories about days full of opera. Castiel looked Dean over again – t-shirt, flannel, jeans, heavy boots – he did not look like a typical fan of classical music. Now that he was paying closer attention to his appearance, Castiel realised that Dean did not look like any Alpha he had ever seen.

“As I said, you will be staying here for a while, until you’re settled in. That’s a condition and not up for argument. What about a job? You said Lucifer expected you to stay at home, but what did you do before? When you were human?”

“I was an interpreter, Alpha,” Castiel answered eagerly. His heartbeat picked up at the idea that he would be allowed to work again at something he actually needed his brain for. “I mostly translated books on a freelance basis.”

Sam looked at him with interest. “How many languages do you speak?”

“Six.”

Sam and Dean exchanged looks and seemingly had a silent conversation.

“That could always come in handy,” Crowley stated.

“Anyway, if you had been working on your own before, then maybe you will be able to get new gigs here as well as other places.”

“Yes, I still have my old contacts. But…” Castiel stopped before the question came out.

“What? Come on, Cas, speak.”

“In my old packs … all wolves always worked at the same company. At least those who didn’t stay at home.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t believe in that. I myself own a small garage, Sammy here is a lawyer and Crowley does … something with investments and mindlessly pushing some money around.”

“Oi! Should I remind you how much I earned this pack in the last five years?”

“Whatever. We have a few firemen and women, and Jody here is a cop. We have a nurse, an IT-genius, a doctor and whatnot. I believe it helps a pack when people have different areas of expertise. If someone is undecided or not ready for a job in the human world, I can always use the help in the shop. But other than that, you can decide for yourself what you wanna do, Cas.” There it was again, the nickname. Castiel found that he liked it. It sounded very different from the way Zachariah and Lucifer had always laid emphasis on his name. “I don’t even care if you tell people you’re a werewolf or not,” Dean added just as Castiel thought he could not be any more surprised. “I think it is easier, however, because sooner or later it will get out. But that’s your call.” Dean’s face turned stern again and he added gruffly: “But we have a pretty good reputation in this city, and we want it to stay that way, so I don’t tolerate any outbursts or violent disputes with humans.”

Castiel nodded, still amazed at everything he had just heard.

“Good. You got any questions?”

Castiel felt like he had about a million, but he just shook his head, too dazed to speak.

Dean slowly walked up towards him, so he was standing close in front of Castiel again. The omega noticed the other man smelled really good. Like, _really_ really. And when he felt a hand on his face, a shiver ran down his back. After all his experiences with Alphas, he had never expected to be so attracted to his new leader. Dean’s fingers ghosted over his cheek where a bruise had been just a day ago. Castiel felt the urge to lean into the touch because it felt so good. He took in another breath and almost hummed in contentment. He suddenly widened his eyes as he noticed he was starting to feel aroused. Not much, not yet, and hopefully not enough that it would show in his scent, but he was definitely interested in this man before him like he had not been interested in anyone since his Change. His wolf seemed to agree, enthusiastically.

_For goodness sake, Castiel, get yourself together_ , he thought and straightened his shoulders, slipping away from Dean’s touch in the movement. The Alpha let his hand fall to his side again and looked at Castiel with a frown.

“You ready for this, Cas? Chuck said we should speed things up, but I’m not gonna claim someone who doesn’t want me to. You are still welcome to stay until you are more comfortable and let me deal with the Father.”

Castiel realised that in his embarrassment, he had gotten completely tense. The Alpha looked down on him with a concerned expression. Castiel blinked again. He had not expected to be given a choice. But it was that short hesitation on Dean’s part that had Castiel tip his head to the side almost eagerly. He made to sink down to his knees, but Dean held him up with strong hands on his shoulders.

“No need for that, Cas,” Dean’s voice was a bit hoarser than before and one hand started to loosen the omega’s tie and he then opened the first two buttons on Castiel’s shirt. Okay, Castiel had not expected that to happen, and he shivered a bit. He was sure his whole body was covered in goose bumps by the time Dean pulled his shirt to the side with a gentle hand so Castiel’s shoulder was almost bare.

They looked at each other for a moment, a question in Dean’s eyes. In response, Castiel bared his throat even more to the Alpha, and closed his eyes. He prepared for the pain he knew would come. But it never did.

Castiel felt Dean bite into his skin, closer to his shoulder and not in his throat like he had been marked the previous times. And it did not hurt at all. Castiel felt a strong pulse shoot through his veins, and everything was just so completely _right_ in that moment. He felt Dean’s tongue, soothing the burn that had not hurt, then his shirt was pulled into place again, tie still loose and rumpled.

Castiel looked up into Dean’s eyes and was sure he was looking right at his Alpha’s wolf. It were the same green eyes, but there was a different fire in them. For a moment, neither man seemed to be able to look away.

“You are one of mine now, Castiel,” Dean finally said with obvious satisfaction in his voice.

And Castiel shared the feeling. He had to hold back a giggle. He could not remember he had ever felt the urge to giggle before in his whole life. And then it got even stranger. For the first time, he had a hard time to hold back his wolf. He could feel it clawing at him, urging to come out, willing Castiel to change form.

“Cas?” Dean asked with concern in his voice. He still had both hands on Castiel’s shoulders and shook him a little. “It’s fine, Cas. You can change if it makes you feel better.”

Castiel only shook his head. He suddenly felt like he needed to leave the room, quickly. If he changed now, his wolf would probably just roll over and expose his belly to Dean. Not necessarily in a submissive pose, but to invite the Alpha to nuzzle him and tickle him all over. Or maybe rub his head over him so his scent would stick to Castiel. His wolf yipped in joy at the mere image, and Castiel’s eyes widened in shock. What was happening to him?

“You want to retire, Cas?” Dean asked, still sounding concerned.

“Yes, Alpha, please.”

Dean put a hand under his chin until Castiel looked at him. “Call me Dean, Cas. We are not that formal around here.”

Castiel just nodded, almost overwhelmed by the touch. But it was even worse when Dean let go of him and stepped back.

“Jody, would you show Castiel to his new home?”

Castiel was relieved when he could finally follow the other omega out of the room. He could not explain logically why he had such a strong reaction to the Alpha. Dean was handsome, sure, and he even seemed like a decent leader, if a bit blunt. But surely that was not enough to turn Castiel into a whimpering fool.

As his wolf still clawed at him when he walked up the stairs behind Jody, it suddenly dawned on Castiel and he suddenly stumbled in his steps:

His wolf has found his Mate.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will (only) give a quick insight on Dean and Castiel’s reaction to the claiming. ;-)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, another update already! (Since it’s the same night, I hurried.)

**FOUR**

 

Right after he had claimed Castiel, all Dean could do was ask Jody to show him to his room. He was glad she had joined them to begin with – since he had not known how things would turn out with his newest pack member, he had thought that another omega might help, in case he had been mistreated in the past or would simply be too intimidated to be alone in an office with only the pack’s highest-ranking wolves. But as Castiel had entered the room, he did not look like a broken wolf at all; it was only after Dean had moved to mark him that Castiel got flustered. The omega had seemed shaken and ready to run, so Dean had thought it would be best to put their meeting short. Usually, new wolves wanted to stay close to their Alpha, but Castiel had just looked so shocked.

Not that Dean did not share the feeling.

He felt shocked as well.  

A Mate.

After Jody and Castiel had left the room, there was a long silence, but Dean could feel both Crowley and Sam watching him closely. Gods, why did he have to ask Crowley to come here in the first place?

_Well, because he is Third. Right. That’s how you always handle a claiming. Logic, Winchester, get your brain to work again._

He sat down wordlessly, poured himself a glass of whiskey, still ignoring the other two wolves who seemed hesitant to approach him, and drank it down in one go.

Dean closed his eyes and tried to figure out when exactly he had known he met his Mate. The moment Castiel came in, Dean had noticed he was still limping and had a faded bruise on his cheek, and Dean had been surprisingly mad about it, considering he did not know the man and had met wolves in worse condition before. Dean knew that most Alphas were some kind of dicks – he would not call himself gentle even on a good day – but since they did not concern _his_ pack, he usually chose not to dwell on it. It wasn’t like he could do anything to change how other Alphas treated their shifters. And in all honesty, nearly all werewolves had a harsh life – to Dean, it almost seemed like a natural side effect of the Change. Werewolves were seldom kind creatures, and he even regarded himself as much of a monster as a man. Not matter what Sammy told him, over and over again.

At least, Castiel had not seemed broken – Dean had feared that he might have to deal with another Kevin in his midst. The Alpha thought it was much easier to handle a defiant wolf than a beaten pup. It made him feel helpless – a sentiment his wolf did not care for at all, which meant he would act snappish towards all his other shifters. But, despite his narration of what had happened in Lucifer’s pack, Castiel had seemed almost rebellious.

And his wolf had liked him instantly; even before they had talked, when Castiel had only held Dean’s gaze with a raised chin, he had been impressed. Usually, Dean’s wolf would be irritated when a stranger, especially someone who applied for pack membership, would challenge him like that. But with Castiel, he had strangely enjoyed it. At the mere memory, Dean’s wolf rumbled happily. His Mate was strong and wilful, as he should be. In the beginning, Dean had been confused at his own reaction to the omega but when he had claimed him – he had known. Dean had hardly been able to hold his wolf back, and that hadn’t happened in a long time. His wolf wanted to tackle Castiel to the ground and rub himself all over him. Unfortunately, Castiel had not looked like this behaviour would have been welcome.

Castiel had looked shocked.

And so was Dean.

A Mate.

Dean poured himself another shot and swallowed it down.

Crowley opened his mouth to say something, but Dean only looked at him, and the alpha stopped mid-breath. He had probably seen his wolf lurking out of his eyes. He wanted to take over. But he was not in a threatening mood, not at all. His wolf felt like howling out in victory. But Dean was not so sure.

A few minutes later, Jody came back. She looked down at Dean and was not at all intimidated when his wolf stared back.

“So, care to explain what that was all about? I mean, I have seen you claim a lot of pack members before, but usually…”

“… there isn’t quite as much eye-fucking involved,” Crowley finished. Jody only shrugged, obviously content with the alpha’s phrasing.

Dean rubbed a hand over his face.

“Dean?” Sam asked, his tone gentler.

“He’s my Mate.”

No one in the room looked surprised.

“That’s … that’s great, Dean. I mean, most of us only dream about it.”

“Do they? Because I’m not so sure this is all that awesome. You remember what happened to Bobby? What happened to this pack?”

Bobby had been the head of this pack until about thirty years ago. And the last years of his leadership had been torturous for everyone. After his Mate had been killed. Bobby’s grief had been so strong, he was not able to hold his pack together anymore. He had tried for a while, but that time had not been easy for anyone. Chaos and treacheries had followed his Mate’s death when the Alpha was weak, until Dean had finally taken the reins. It had been an unusually peaceful change in command. Dean had already been Second, and these days, he believed that his Alpha had waited ever since his Mate had died for Dean to finally step up. Bobby still lived, but as a lone wolf near the city. Dean, Sam and Jody checked in on him regularly. He even came to the house every now and then or joined the pack on a Full Moon Hunt.

“Dean, you just found your Mate. Don’t think about losing him right away. And Bobby … Bobby is content, isn’t he?”

Dean scoffed, and even Jody looked uncomfortable. Sam had not known Bobby before he had lost his Mate, had not been part of the pack until years later. No, Dean’s brother had only met Bobby when Lucifer had tried to take the pack from him, after he had killed Karen. It had been a good plan – Bobby weakened, and Dean confused by Lucifer’s scheme with Sam. But fortunately, they had been able to fight the hostile pack off in the end, and Sam had eventually seen the true face of Lucifer.

When Sam had finally turned away from his old Alpha and joined the pack, and Dean became its Alpha, it only grew stronger by the leadership divided between the brothers. In the years afterwards, the pack had flourished, and Dean had slowly settled into his role. But he had never forgotten what had happened to Bobby after he had lost his Mate. Had never forgotten the bloodshed and pain in the old pack when the Alpha had not been able to hold it together anymore. It was an Alpha’s first duty to look after his wolves – and Dean had learned that a Mate made every Alpha vulnerable. Moreover, a Mate would always be an obvious target for the enemy. Dean’s chest suddenly tightened as he imagined a literal mark painted on Castiel’s back. There were too many hostile packs to ever keep him completely safe. He would disappoint everyone, his Mate, his pack. Again. Dean twitched as he felt like his wolf had bitten into his arm, growling at him. He almost chuckled in surprise. His wolf never understood his feelings of guilt, and he clearly was not in the mood for them now.

When no one answered, Sam added: “Seriously, Dean, this is a good thing. A pack alpha with an omega mate. It’s a blessing. We should all celebrate.”

“You should listen to the moose, Winchester. Only you could have something like that happen to you and turn it into some melodrama.” Crowley looked down at his Alpha. “I am surprised your wolf allows you to pout in here. Shouldn’t he run happily to his Mate?”

Dean listened in on his wolf who just hummed in contentment, not urging to go anywhere right now. One thing everyone seemed to find hard to believe: His wolf could be a lot more patient than Dean. The human side of him was always conscious of the possibility of a sudden death, while the wolf was cocky enough to be convinced that they would see centuries come and go.

 A wolf seldom thought in words, but right now, Dean could make out _pack_ and _ours_.

“My wolf is content for now. Castiel is part of my pack. And I don’t want to pressure him. He obviously has some bad memories with other Alphas. And he had been Changed not that long ago. He probably doesn’t even realise what is happening.”

At that, Dean’s wolf growled angrily. His Mate would recognise them; he had to.

“Oh, he definitely knows there is something going on. I mean, he looked at you like he wanted you to lick him all over,” Crowley barked out, and Sam added: “Yeah, Dean, you were not the only one who looked like you were ready to jump someone.”

Dean tried to look irritated, but he was rather pleased that his friends thought Castiel had seemed not completely indifferent towards Dean. He remembered how Castiel had tensed up when Dean had stroked over the light bruise on his face, but seconds later, he had tipped his head to the side almost enthusiastically. And he had smelled … excited. Dean’s wolf almost poured as he thought back to when his lips had touched Castiel’s shoulder. Maybe this was a good thing after all. Maybe Crowley was right. After all the losses and deprivations in his life, there was finally something good happening to him – and he was too thick-headed to appreciate it. His pack was working well, there was no imminent danger for either his wolves or his Mate. Dean let out a long breath and stretched his legs. A Mate. He almost smiled as a warm feeling filled his chest. He could already feel Castiel inside of him, through the pack bonds; his presence somehow stronger than anyone else’s as his wolf was so focused on the omega.

When he noticed his brother’s mood was changing, Sam smirked down at Dean and teased: “So, I guess you don’t think that he is a spy anymore?”

Dean let out a low snarl, but Sam only chuckled. Dean knew Castiel was not a spy. Well, maybe Lucifer had even intended it, but his Mate would not betray his new pack. He still had a feeling that Castiel did not know exactly what it meant to meet one’s Mate, but he was sure his wolf would not be able to betray Dean. As much as Dean already trusted Castiel more than he would have any other stranger. He was convinced that the omega had told the truth about Uriel; and that he had had every reason to attack Lucifer. Dean could not stop the growl when he thought about how his Mate had been treated. Thank goodness that he seemed stable and had been able to fight them off – otherwise, Dean might have just walked up the hundreds of miles to Lucifer’s pack and killed him, starting a war that would doubtlessly leave many casualties on both sides.

“Dean is right,” Jody interrupted his thoughts. “I’m sure that Castiel recognised his Mate, but he is probably still confused. And he just arrived from a pack with a vicious Alpha. Let him settle in first, and try not to overwhelm him. All of you.” She looked sternly at Crowley for a second. “He needs to get to know the pack a little, and you, Dean. Let him build some trust. There is time enough.” She looked down at Dean with an almost motherly expression. “Maybe take a run, Alpha. You look like you could use some exercise.”

 

>>><<< 

 

After Jody had left him, Castiel sat down on the bed and tried to get a hold of himself.

He had hardly heard her chatter on about the house. The rooms on the ground floor, like the big kitchen and the living room were open to all pack members. Jody told him that there hardly passed a minute when the house was completely empty. Even the smaller offices could be used by all of the pack when they wanted to speak to someone in private. Jody had also explained that in the basement were gyms and work-out rooms that could be used by everyone. Dean encouraged all his shifters to engage in some sort of sports – it was an easy way to deal with all the adrenaline and restlessness. Someone named Cole and Ketch obviously gave classes in various martial arts on a daily basis, and Castiel, like any other pack member, was welcome to join them whenever he liked.

When they had walked up to the first floor, Castiel could see some _occupied_ \- signs on the doors. Jody explained that these were all guest rooms that pack members could use any time they wanted. Like when they were stressed or simply felt like they wanted to stay close to the Alpha. Castiel was surprised again how this pack worked. In his old packs, shifters would have never been allowed to just come to the Alpha’s house whenever they wanted. And if they felt the need to be close, they would sleep outside, on the porch, and not in nice guest rooms.

Then they reached the second floor and Jody led him to a door. She opened it, and Castiel saw it was not as much a room as it was a small apartment. A door led to a private bathroom and there was even a kitchenette. The TV and books and paintings on the wall, even though they were not Castiel’s possessions, still made the place look homey. When he had lived with Zachariah and Lucifer, he had had hardly enough space for a bed and a closet.

“That’s your place for now, Castiel. This whole floor is reserved for new wolves, who would stay for at least a couple of weeks, or others who simply chose to live here for a while instead of crashing for just a few nights. At the time, there is only Kevin, another omega, and Charlie on this floor. But Charlie seems to be fit enough to get back into a separate house pretty soon.”

Castiel was still a bit absent-minded, his wolf tickling him from the inside, but he thought it would be polite to finally say something. “Where do _you_ live, then?”

“I live on the house on the right, Sam’s one is on the left.”

“And where does Dean sleep?” Castiel blushed at his own question. Jody smiled and examined him in a way that he thought she was looking right through him. And onto his tail-wagging wolf.

“Dean lives on the top floor. We try not to bother him when he’s up there, unless it’s an emergency. He has his house full of people most of the time, so he deserves a little bit of peace somewhere.” She looked at him almost contemplating. Then she smirked and said nonchalantly: “Or, you know, when he wants to have even more _privacy_ , he usually stays at a hotel for the night.”

It took a moment until Castiel realised what she insinuated, and then he let out a soft growl. She chuckled lightly, and Castiel felt even more embarrassed. To deflect from his rising jealousy – which he had absolutely no right to – and because he was honestly curious, he asked: “Dean said you are a cop…?”

“Guilty as charged,” Jody answered with a scoff.

Castiel licked his lips, but he wasn’t sure he should ask more questions.

“Go ahead and ask, Castiel. You’re new here. It’s important to ask questions until you know your way around.”

“In my old packs, questions were seen as a form of disobedience.”

“Well, this isn’t your old packs.” Jody’s tone was firm and gentle, then she added in a lighter voice: “Around here, you might more likely get into trouble for _not_ asking questions about something you don’t understand. It doesn’t help keep a pack safe if someone doesn’t know what’s expected from them. Don’t hesitate to ask anyone whatever you want to know.”

“Including Dean?”

“Especially Dean.” She smiled. “Well, he might sometimes sound a bit abrasive, but he won’t hold it against you if you don’t understand something. Now, what did you want to know?”

“You’re a cop – and you’re also an omega…” Castiel had to think about what he actually wanted to know, and then said bluntly: “Do you like living in this pack, Jody?”

Her smile grew a lot warmer. “Yes, I do, Castiel. I like it very much. I’ve been very blessed to spend my life as a werewolf in this pack, first under Bobby’s rule, and now under Dean’s. And it’s a good life.” For the first time in a long while, Castiel smiled as well. “We haven’t had much disputes or fighting for ranks for a long while. Only after Bobby… he had become too weak to hold a whole pack and there had been four years of fighting and clawing, from inside and out of the pack, until Dean finally took over as leader. And there has not been any serious uproar against him since then. Dean, Sam and Crowley make a strong leadership and it’s nearly impossible to come between.”

“Sam… he is a beta. I’ve never heard of a beta being a Second.”

“Since you’ve lived in packs of old wolves, I’m sure you haven’t. But we are pretty modern here. The Winchesters, Dean and Sam, they make a good team. They’re brothers, you know, even their wolves acknowledge that. Dean brings the strength and responsibility any pack leader should have, but he can also be a hothead. He _is_ an alpha, you know. Sam is the one who will always get in contact with his brain before he makes a decision – and he usually can get Dean to at least listen to his reasoning. I can’t say much about what other packs would say to this, but I think we all here have learned that it is healthy to have a beta high up in ranks. Doesn’t mean Dean might not go with his instincts in the end anyway, but so far, his gut has never let us down. He’s a good leader.”

Castiel felt himself still smiling as his wolf practically waggled his tail at the praising of his Mate.

“And Crowley is smart and cunning. Like he said, he is a main reason why this pack thrives, financially.” She rested a hand on Castiel’s shoulder for a second, and he had to stop himself to not lean into the touch. But Jody seemed to have noticed it nonetheless and just pulled him into a half-hug. It felt good, reassuring, and Castiel was a bit disappointed when the other omega finally stepped back. “You should rest now, Castiel. You’ve had a tough week, and we all know that a claiming will mess up your mind a little. Best sleep through it.”

Jody left him with a remark that he could come down for breakfast anytime next morning, or just grab something from the kitchen and take it up with him. No one would mind if he wanted to rest for a few days, but everyone would be happy to meet their new pack member when he was ready.

Castiel had thanked her and sat down on the bed after she had closed the door. Undoubtedly to go and report to Dean how his new wolf had been behaving.

At the thought of Dean, Castiel’s wolf gave out another little happy yip, and now that he was alone, Castiel let himself feel reassured for a moment, even though he was still inexplicably embarrassed. He had not known that a claiming could be so pleasant. He could already feel the energy of the pack surge through him, and it was vibrant and pulsating with life in a way he had not felt before. Castiel opened his shirt a little and looked at the mark. It was so close to his shoulder that he could even see it without a mirror. It would be easy to hide it if he wanted. He remembered how Dean had said his pack members did not have to out themselves as wolves. For half a second, Castiel wondered where Dean might leave his _Mating_ Bite. He flushed when he thought about Dean, wearing Castiel’s own mark on his neck. For everyone to see.

Castiel pulled the shirt up again and looked around the room that would become his home. It looked cosy, and smelled even better. Castiel sniffed and took another deep breath. There was a light trace of Dean in the room, like the Alpha had recently been in here. Castiel closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. His wolf seemed completely blissed out at the idea that he had met his Mate – and even though Castiel had not been a wolf very long, he had no doubt that was what had just happened. But he was not sure what it meant exactly.

Could his wolf think he found a Mate, but the other wolf did not reciprocate the feeling? Dean had not seemed very affected. For goodness sake, he had asked Jody to lead Castiel to his bedroom right after he claimed him. Shouldn’t he more likely have dragged him to his own lair right away?

Maybe he was disappointed with him. Maybe Dean would have preferred a complaisant omega, not one who started a staring contest before they had even exchanged a word.

But as much as Castiel wondered about Dean’s behaviour, his wolf didn’t seem to care. His wolf had no doubt that Dean would want him; he was just happy. And that was something Castiel had to get used to first. He did not remember his wolf had ever been _happy_ before. But to be honest, no matter what his wolf thought, Castiel was glad Dean had not just thrown him over his shoulder after he had claimed him – the omega was still too overwhelmed with the new developments, and he did not even _know_ Dean.

Just this morning, Castiel had thought about running away. About starting a life of his own. But he had also wished for a pack. He remembered how lonely he had been during the months he was hiding. He remembered how he had craved a wolf for company and touch.

Not that he had much of that in his short time in Lucifer’s pack. Ever since Meg had died, trying to save him, Castiel had felt alone. Well, there had been Jack. He remembered the young alpha who had been brought to Lucifer’s pack around the same time as Castiel. He had just been Changed, and struggled with Lucifer’s concept of how an alpha should behave. However, Lucifer had never been cruel to Jack; quite the opposite – he had seemed fascinated with him. Castiel had believed it was because, even though he was so young, Jack was already very strong, and Lucifer wanted to exploit that. But the true reason had been even stranger. Castiel felt sadness rise in him when he thought about Jack. He knew he had been the only one who had treated him with kindness – as Jack had been the only one who did not look down on Castiel. And now no one was there to watch out for the boy anymore.

Castiel shook his head and tried to concentrate on the present. Jack was an alpha, he could take care of himself. But it was mostly his wolf who didn’t want to think about things he couldn’t change right now.

Castiel felt his wolf paw at him again, until he finally gave in and changed form.

He closed his eyes, listened to the noises inside the house, and felt the new pack bond settle into his bones. For the first time, he did not feel like he wanted to break the strings. On a hunch, Castiel jumped from the bed and to the window. He was looking in the direction of the forest, and Castiel felt tempted to run outside.

A movement made him look closer. He could see a beautiful big wolf that seemed to have a reddish-brown fur – but he couldn’t be sure in the dark. The wolf was on his way to the forest, but suddenly stopped, turned around and looked up, directly at Castiel. He tipped his head to the side, wagged his tail, then disappeared between the trees.

Castiel thought it had looked like an invitation, his wolf certainly did, but he held him back. He didn’t dare to follow Dean on his first night in his new home.

So instead, Castiel jumped back onto the bed, curled up, and dozed off with a comforting feeling in his stomach.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Castiel’s first day in his new home. :-)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, lovely readers. Just a quick side-note since you had a few questions over the last chapters: I could not pack everything about werewolf life into the first chapter (which is already an overload of exposition), but I add tiny bits and pieces throughout the whole story. Some things might only have been mentioned (or hinted at) in the beginning but will be explained in later chapters more thoroughly. That being said, I don’t mind at all if you keep asking – it makes me happy to see you are interested in this world. Just so you don’t wonder when my answers reappear somewhere in the story. ;-)

**FIVE**

 

Castiel woke up with a feeling he had never experienced before: He felt like he belonged.

The pack bond was humming clearer through his body and mind than it had last night. And it felt wonderful. Like Castiel was welcome. Like he had a family.

He rose from the bed and noticed with surprise that it was already well after ten. He must have slept for nearly twelve hours straight!

But Jody had said he should rest, so he didn’t feel too bad about it. His stomach rumbled, and Castiel felt a chuckle rise inside him. Jody had also said he could come down for breakfast whenever he felt like it.

So he quickly took care of things in the bathroom and changed into clothes that weren’t rumpled from sleep. He hesitantly opened his door and walked downstairs. The house was a lot quieter than it had been last night, but there were still different scents of other shifters lingering in the hallway. As he walked downstairs, Castiel decided he liked his new home. The house was big, but it didn’t really feel that way. It also seemed just so inviting, but maybe that was just because of what Jody had told him last night: That any shifter was welcome to spend as much time here as they wanted. For Castiel, that spoke volumes about Dean’s leadership.

Dean.

Castiel had tried not to think about the Alpha yet, and he was not surprised when he felt his wolf purr at the thought of him. He noticed that some other part why he liked the house was the fact that there seemed to be a light trace of Dean around the whole place. And Castiel really liked how his Mate smelled.

Mate.

He should really try to figure out what that meant, exactly. Or rather, if Dean felt the same way. After all that had happened to him since the Change, Castiel would not be surprised if his wolf found their perfect match – just so that Dean would not respond in kind.

Castiel felt another growl, but he wasn’t sure whether it had been his irritable wolf, or just his stomach again. Either way, he should try to figure out where he could find breakfast. A hungry wolf was always testy.

He walked into the kitchen, somewhat hesitantly, and found a young man sitting at the table, reading what seemed to be a comic book. He looked up and had a warm smile on his face. A subtle sniff told Castiel that the young man was another omega. He felt instantly relieved. He had hoped he would be all alone for his late breakfast, but if he had to deal with a stranger – _pack_ , his wolf chided him – he was just glad it wasn’t an alpha. Especially because he was already bursting with questions.

“Castiel, finally! I mean… I hope you slept well.”

 “Thank you, yes.”

“I’m Kevin, by the way. I live right next to you.” The man stood up, walked towards Castiel and embraced him in a lose hug. Castiel tensed for a second, but then he put both his arms around the other omega and held on tight for a period of time that was probably way too long to be considered anything remotely polite to greet a stranger, pack or not.

He suddenly pulled away and stepped back, looking sheepishly to the floor. “I’m sorry. That was… I don’t… It’s been a long time since someone…”

“Don’t worry, Castiel. We’re all pack now. We’re family.” Kevin’s smile turned a bit sad. “You know, when I arrived here, I was touch-starved as well. You just wait until Dean figures it out and gets all cuddly.” Kevin laughed and squeezed Castiel’s shoulder again. Then he turned around to face the fridge, and Castiel was glad Kevin could not see how red his face got at the idea of a _cuddly Dean_. “Now, what would you like for breakfast? Oatmeal? Scrambled eggs and bacon? Pancakes?”

Castiel’s stomach growled again. “Some eggs would be nice. But I can do it myself…” He added when Kevin opened the fridge and started to get the food ready.

“Oh no, you sit down and wait. Dean said you were hurting when you arrived last night. And you just got claimed. You should rest.”

Castiel was surprised that Dean had noticed anything off about him last night – after all, he had tried to appear tough. Listening in on his body, he realised that the lingering pain from the last few days had completely vanished. He felt healthier than ever since he had been turned into a werewolf. But he was willing to accept a little bit of pampering from his new omega pack mate. It had been a long while since he had eaten something he had not prepared himself.

“So… you live here as well?” Castiel asked while Kevin was turned to the stove.

“Yes, I … I only got here about nine months ago. Usually, newcomers don’t stay that long, but I like the house. I feel safe here. And I don’t need much space anyway.” Kevin ended with a shrug.

“And Charlie also lives here?” Castiel remembered Jody talking about someone else on his floor.

“Yeah, but only temporary. Charlie’s been through a tough time… and is taking a little break for now. But there are usually half a dozen wolves staying in the guest rooms. There is really a lot of coming and going around here.”

“And where is everyone now? At work?”

Kevin put two plates with eggs and bacon on the table as well as toast, two cups of coffee and a carafe with orange juice.

“Mostly, yes. Ketch just finished his shift. He’s a firefighter and he often comes here to take a nap after a stressful mission.”

“And you? What are you doing?” Castiel felt a bit wary; maybe omegas who stayed at the house were still some kind of servants, no matter what Dean had said last night. “I mean, do you have a job as well?”

“Oh, I work for Crowley. But I only need my tablet and I like working from home.”

“For Crowley?” Castiel was surprised. He couldn’t really picture the blunt alpha with that sweet omega.

“Yeah, he’s an investment banker. And ever since he found out that I’m good with probability calculations and statistics, he cued me in. And I quite like it.” He paused. “But I plan to go back to college. I never got my degree when … well, after I Changed. But I think Sam and Dean want me to go back to school, eventually. We’ll see.”

“So, how did you get here? It’s not often that an omega is allowed to change packs. At least from my experience.” As far as Castiel knew it was even unlikely that an Alpha let any other wolves go unless they were strong enough – or determined enough – to break the bond themselves.

Kevin ducked his head to the side, in a trained submissive gesture Castiel knew all too well, and he instantly regretted asking. Before he could back pedal however, Kevin said: “Same as you, I guess. Chuck got me out and left me at Dean’s doorstep. I thought I might have just changed the frying pan for the fire at first, but … I really like it here.” There was a heavy pause. “Castiel… I don’t know about you, but I’ve been in a pack that was led by a very old wolf for a long time. They often have different ideas about leadership and see themselves pretty much like old-world monarchs. Especially when it comes to omegas. I was considered personal property of the Alpha. I always had to stay at home, close to the Alpha. I cleaned and cooked and at night he would call me to his bed more often than not. Claiming that omegas were a good influence on the Alpha and that it would benefit the whole pack if I submit to him.” Castiel nodded, he had heard that kind of reasoning before. “And some of that is true, of course. Omegas can help a pack keep control – when the Alpha draws on our ability to live with our wolves as one. And I think that touching benefits Dean as much as me. He often seems calmer afterwards. But you’ll see for yourself.” Castiel blushed a deep red at the thought of Dean’s hands on him. His wolf could hardly wait. Kevin might have misinterpreted his reaction as he hastily added: “No, no, no. I mean like a hug, or something. Dean would never … Dean doesn’t expect us to do anything we don’t feel comfortable with. Honestly, I’ve never seen him with any pack member that way. He usually gets out and picks up a human if he feels like sex.”

Castiel let out a growl and he wasn’t surprised when Kevin looked at him in confusion. He quickly changed the subject: “You make this sound like we can all do whatever we want. But the first thing Dean said to me was that he didn’t tolerate disobedience.”

“Oh, that. Took me a while to get that as well. He doesn’t mean in everyday life. He doesn’t mind if someone disagrees with him. You know, Charlie and I once almost had a shouting match with him because he seriously thinks that Batman could beat Superman in an honest fight. I mean, seriously!” Castiel almost smiled at the boy’s outraged face. Kevin shook his head, almost in disgust, and then added soberly: “Dean’s talking about dangerous situations. Like when we get attacked and he tells you to run, you better run. Or when we all hunt together, he expects everyone to do their assigned jobs. Or when he orders someone to jump into a burning house to save some old lady or whatever.”

“That ever happened?”

Kevin shrugged. “We work pretty closely with the police and the fire department. They sometimes call us on difficult cases. It really helps keeping peace with the humans. It had been Sam’s idea at first, from what I heard, but I think Dean is just as convinced of the concept as his brother by now. And not only to assure the humans that we are no danger to them. I think he really wants to help. Put our strength and resilience to good use.”

Castiel could hardly imagine any of his old Alphas to care enough for humans that they would endanger themselves.

“You mentioned old wolves… I lived in a pack with an ancient one,” Castiel gulped at the thought of Lucifer, one of the First. “Do you mean that all old leaders have the same medieval ideas, and all younger wolves are more … open-minded? Then how old is Dean?” Since both Zachariah and Lucifer had been wary of the Winchester pack, Castiel had imagined Dean would have been very old himself. But last night he had said he owned a garage, and for some reason, Castiel thought that cars might have already been around at the time Dean had been Changed.

“Dean has been a werewolf for around fifty years. And no, not all young Alphas are great, and I think some of the older ones are not so bad. I heard Sam and Dean talk about Gabriel sometimes – he seems to be okay. And he is one of those supposed First, right? But overall, I think it is often the case that old wolves are real bastards. But that doesn’t mean young ones can’t be the same, I guess.”

Castiel put his cup and plate in the dishwasher after Kevin, lost in thought.

 “So, how do you feel about a run? I could show you the grounds – and your wolf must be itching by now to come out.”

“A run? Just the two of us?”

Kevin looked around like he was searching for something, then he turned back to Castiel: “No one else here.” He smiled. “But if you want to go investigate on your own, I don’t mind. You can go anywhere you want, Castiel.” Kevin tipped his head to the side in thought. “But maybe don’t leave the territory before checking in with Dean. Not on your first day.”

A minute later, Castiel was running next to Kevin through the forest. His wolf was happy and felt free for the first time in months. They stayed out, playfully chasing squirrels and butterflies, for almost two hours. Castiel could not remember the last time he had been outside in wolf form for that long. It had probably been with Meg. As he ran through the forest, he could feel the pack bond settle even deeper into him. Kevin’s wolf was red and white – the colouring like the one of a fox, and he was one of the smallest wolves Castiel had ever seen. But he was quick and playful. He tackled Castiel to the ground at some point and they rolled around in the grass that smelled heavenly of early spring. They combed through each other’s fur and Castiel sighed happily at the gentle touches. He was almost sad when Kevin finally trotted back towards the house – until Kevin told him they should do it again tomorrow.

When they changed back, Kevin made them some sandwiches while he explained to Castiel a few more rules of the house. And Castiel listened carefully, since he didn’t want to make a mistake.

“You have to take care of your own room, clean it and stuff, I mean. For the kitchen and the living room counts: whatever you do, you clean your shit up afterwards,” Kevin said with a wide smile and Castiel looked a bit confused at the other omega’s enthusiasm. “Sorry, but I have spent a decade cleaning up after alphas, and I really enjoy that here, they have to do it themselves. Some cleaning company also comes by twice a week, and most of the groceries are sent here at the same schedule. If you want something fancy, you have to buy it yourself, or put it on the grocery list in the kitchen.”

Castiel felt a sudden dampener to his happy mood at the thought that he had no money to buy anything for himself, fancy or not. He hardly owned any clothes. But he didn’t say anything, because he didn’t want to disappoint Kevin. He should ask Jody or Dean if he could work again soon. But he did not even know how much money he would be allowed to keep. He knew every pack had an account where their members paid in a percentage of their own pay check. And since Dean offered rooms and food for free, Castiel assumed he would take quite a bit of money from his shifters. Kevin looked at him for a moment and Castiel noticed he had probably not reacted for a few minutes.

“And talking about buying stuff, Dean had asked me to go shopping with you once you feel like it. What about we head out right after we’re done with these?” He held his sandwich up, then took a big bite and went on with a full mouth: “He said you didn’t bring much stuff and probably need more clothes, toiletries and whatever else you want. I picked up a notebook and a phone from the supply in the store room yesterday. Did you find it last night? I already installed everything for you.”

“I don’t… I don’t have any money,” Castiel said in hardly more than a whisper. He had seen the phone and the laptop on the desk in his room, but hadn’t been sure they were his to use. He still didn’t know whether he was supposed to pay for them.

Kevin almost rolled his eyes like Castiel had stated the too-obvious. “That’s why we’ll use one of the pack credit cards. They are available to everyone in need, and Jody gave me one this morning to help you out. Those shifters who work usually spare three to ten percent of their earnings, depending on their income. But the new wolves or those in financial trouble will always be allowed to take from the pack account.”

“No matter in which hierarchy position they are or how much they paid in before?”

“It would not make much sense if only those who paid in a lot would be allowed to take from the money, would it? And thanks to Crowley, this pack can afford to buy some clothes and groceries, even for all the wolves should it be needed. But I think Dean likes that everyone has to pay a percentage, that everyone has to contribute something for the pack’s benefit.” Kevin licked his lips and thought about his next words for a moment. “And for the structure of the pack… There is no strict hierarchy here. Yes, there are Dean, Sam and Crowley as the leaders, but other than that… everyone is considered capable in their own way. Sometimes some alphas might start some stupid competition – and Dean lets them fight it out as long as they don’t seriously injure each other. Ketch, Rowena and Cole sometimes get into it real hard – it’s quite funny. Well, honestly it used to freak me out a bit, but by now I see how useless it is. Cole might beat Ketch in a fight – but the next day, Ketch will just demonstrate himself as the better hunter. And Rowena just generally enjoys riling anyone up. Charlie once got so annoyed, she yelled at them through the whole house to stop – all three responded some shit about how Charlie wasn’t a real alpha and didn’t feel the natural need to prove herself. Then Charlie hacked into their phones, and sent all kinds of embarrassing texts. It was hilarious. Ketch supposedly sent Dean a message, gushing about his beautiful freckles.” Kevin snickered. “Cole asked Crowley to invest all his money in Russian chocolate companies. It was glorious, and they have not tried to challenge Charlie ever since. Because they have no idea about tech – and in this day and age, being fit with a computer is often more important than being the strongest. Or look at Crowley. He is Third because he is smart and cunning, not because he is physically superior. And I think both Dean and Sam know how important it is to gather people around them who have different gifts. And they are all equal. We. We are all equal, Cas.”

When Kevin basically dragged him to a car and drove into town, Castiel had a lot to think about. This pack sounded like heaven. And Dean sounded wonderful. But he just --- he just felt like he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Kevin looked at him contemplatively sometimes, and Castiel imagined he knew what was going on in his head, but didn’t press him. After Castiel bought some clothes and toiletries, Kevin urged him to get something fun for himself. And so Castiel bought some dictionaries in a second-hand bookstore. When he smiled at them like they were old friends, Kevin looked at him oddly, but in the end only shrugged his shoulders. It must have been strange for this tech-affine kid to see someone so excited over yellowed books that did not even tell a story. But when Castiel placed them in his shelves after they returned home, the apartment looked just a little bit more like it was _his_.

The two omegas made an early dinner together, but instead of cooking only for themselves, Kevin made a huge pot of tomato sauce and more spaghetti than they could eat in a week.

“If you ever cook anything in this house, Castiel, better make a lot of it. Someone will always pop in before you’re finished and jammer around if there’s not enough.”

Sure enough, a moment later, a red-headed woman with a colourful t-shirt rushed into the kitchen.

“Ohhh, pasta! Great. I’m famished,” she yelled. Behind her walked a man in only sweats and a t-shirt. Where the woman seemed cheery, the man looked like _reserved_ was his most upbeat expression. They were both alphas.

“You must be Castiel.”

The woman hugged Castiel immediately and introduced herself as Charlie. Castiel was surprised; he had somehow expected a man to go by that name. But he also felt more comfortable to know that he would share a floor with that cheery woman instead of the brooding alpha he had envisioned in his mind. The other alpha, Ketch, only offered Castiel a hand and seemed a lot more like the other shifters he had met in his old packs.

Castiel was surprised when the two newcomers opened the fridge and prepared a huge bowl of salad together.

By the time the food was ready, they were also joined by a beta named Garth, the alpha Rowena and the omega girl Alex. Everyone welcomed the newest member to the pack – the only one who made him slightly uncomfortable was Rowena, who just started to flirt offensively with him in a way he was not used to, neither as a werewolf nor as a man. He blushed deeply, and the woman was chided by both Alex and Charlie. Castiel looked at Garth for a while after the clumsy beta had hugged him even tighter than Charlie. The man had a mark on his neck that seemed different from a claiming bite. _Mated_ , Castiel’s wolf told him. Castiel had not asked Kevin one question about Mates all day – it seemed like an oddly intimate subject, and not the first topic you wanted to talk about with your newest friend. But maybe he could talk to this Garth in a quiet minute about mated life.

Dinner was a messy and loud affair; everyone had questions for Castiel, and he slowly thawed to their directness. But they kept it light. No one asked about his old packs or Alphas – they all seemed to assume that Chuck had had a good reason to bring him here. And Castiel generally tried to deflect from himself and asked other people about their lives as well. He felt a little awkward in that role – usually he did not seek the spotlight. But it was not like he had a choice with the way everyone wanted to get to know their newest family member.

“So, Charlie, you are staying in this house as well, I heard?” Castiel asked to change the sad subject from his own family – after Garth had asked him if he still visited his human relatives. He really did not want to talk about how lonely he had been for years, even before his Change.

“Well, yes, but I’m about to move back to my house again. I’ve just had a couple of tough weeks behind me and my wolf got restless with me. We did not really see eye to eye for a while.”

“Oh?” Castiel said. He didn’t want to pry but was still curious. He felt like this one sound could either encourage Charlie to explain or just allow her to change the subject.

But before Charlie responded in any way, the front door opened and Castiel knew instantly who had arrived – even if his wolf had not basically waggled his tail in his mind. But Castiel was not the only one who seemed to enjoy the return of the Alpha; most shifters around the table relaxed noticeably, especially Rowena and Ketch.

“Hey, Dean, grab a plate before it’s too late,” Charlie yelled at him to the hallway.

Dean walked into the kitchen and greeted everyone. His eyes sought out Castiel on the table, who dropped his gaze to the floor in sudden embarrassment. He was not sure why he felt so sheepish, exactly, it was not like Dean could know that his wolf was so excited to see him. Or could he?

Dean walked to him and held a hand to his shoulder as he had done with Ketch and Kevin seconds ago. The Alpha’s scent was mixed with a bit of oil and grease, but Castiel liked it. His outfit had a few specks as well. No comparison to Zachariah’s and Lucifer’s top-notch suits, but Castiel preferred the down-to-earth style of Dean.

“Hey, Cas, you all right? Settled in nicely?”

Castiel nodded, with another blush. “Yes, Alpha, thank you.”

Dean pulled his hand back abruptly and frowned at Castiel. “You can call me Dean, like I said.” His voice was gentle, but he sounded almost --- offended.

Castiel held back a whine at the loss of contact. But if anyone noticed anything strange about his reaction, they didn’t show it.

Dean turned around to the stove and Charlie suddenly picked up where she had left off. “I fell in love with a wolf from another pack. Dorothy is her name. But… she didn’t want to come here, because she is Second in her pack, and we have no vacancies so up high. And I didn’t want to leave my family here.”

Dean, who had just loaded his plate with the rest of pasta and sauce at the worktable suddenly let out a pleased rumble. Everyone grinned at the Alpha’s disability to hide his pride that Charlie did not want to leave his pack. He sat down on the free seat opposite Castiel and the omega suddenly felt hot again. He was glad he had already finished eating. He was sure he would not have been able to swallow down anything with that handsome man looking at him.

“Well, anyway, she is not my True Mate, you know, so … I will get over it, I guess.”

Castiel suddenly blushed so hard he heard his blood rush to his head – and he almost missed when Dean choked on his food. While Dean still coughed, the group was interrupted by a newcomer.

“I am so hungry!”

A young woman, hardly older than a girl in appearance, walked into the kitchen and rushed to the stove. But her excited expression fell abruptly and she growled out loud when she saw there was no food left.

“Hey! Who did eat it all up?”

Everyone at the table, other than Castiel, eagerly pointed their fingers at Dean.

The young woman glowered at her Alpha and grumbled: “You could have at least put the pots in the sink so I would have known they’re empty. Ugh!”

Still grumbling, she got some eggs out of the fridge and started making something of her own. When a couple more wolves came in and a beta named Pam yelled “oh, make more, I’m so hungry” Claire groaned, and everyone at the table laughed.

Kevin leaned over to Castiel: “Told you, always make a truck load of food. They will eat all of it.”

They sat around the table for a while, Sam and Jody joined in later. Everyone laughed and relaxed. Dean was quiet, and Castiel hardly said a word after he had arrived. Dean was holding Garth’s shoulder and the beta leaned into the touch. Castiel felt almost jealous. He wanted Dean to do that to him as well. He didn’t even feel like this was solely a Mate-thing, he had also craved the touch of the Alphas he had hated.

When they finished eating, Rowena, Garth and his Mate Bess started to clear the table and cleaned up. Castiel was surprised that the division of work seemed so effortless here, and even more was he surprised when Dean joined in.

Castiel felt his wolf rise again, trying to convince him to just get up and rest his head on Dean’s shoulder for a moment, like Charlie was currently doing.

Instead, as soon as he could think of an excuse, Castiel left the kitchen and walked to his own room. He had a lot to think about. And he did not want to embarrass himself in front of the others.

The pack felt as amiable in real life as the bond had indicated. And Castiel had never seen wolves that were so… _different_. He was used to ruthless, scary alphas, quiet betas and timid omegas. But Charlie was not at all like any alpha Castiel had ever seen, and Garth seemed awfully sweet for a beta, not to mention that neither Jody, Kevin or Alex acted submissive at all.

Involuntarily, he thought about Jack again, and how he might be able to develop in these surroundings. Where no aggressiveness seemed to be expected of an alpha.

He changed into comfortable clothes and picked up a book from the shelve to keep himself occupied. But his mind always wandered back to Dean. Did the Alpha think Castiel was his Mate? He had not at all acted like it. Maybe this really was a one-sided thing.

Castiel closed his eyes and searched for the pack bond again. A lot of the strings he could now attach to faces. He tugged a little bit at Kevin, knowing the omega would not feel it. The only person who could reach out to everyone was the Alpha. Castiel tried to ignore the vibrant string in the middle, holding everyone together. In his old packs he had never wished to seek it out, staying as far away from the Alpha as possible, if only in his mind.

But at some point, he was no longer able to stop himself from slightly brushing over Dean’s bond. It felt right, and good, so he did it again. Castiel closed his eyes and sighed happily, feeling safe and grounded.

A knock on the door pulled him out of his blissful daze.

“Cas? You all right?”

Castiel looked at the door in shock. Had he pulled at Dean? Of course he had. And now the Alpha was right outside his door. He wasn’t able to reply, lost for words and still looking for an excuse.

“I’m coming in, Cas,” Dean said before he pushed down the handle. Dean stood in the doorway and looked at Castiel, but his concerned expression turned into something close to embarrassment when he saw Castiel, sitting on the bed with wide eyes.

“I’m sorry, Dean. I didn’t mean to…,” Castiel stuttered. He would have never expected Dean to seek him out after just the briefest touch to the bond. He was surprised he even noticed it. Castiel might have never done it before, but he was quite sure that others would occasionally touch the bond, without their Alpha immediately running towards them. “I won’t do it again, Dean.”

Dean sighed and waved a hand. “Oh no. Don’t worry about it. It’s only natural. You should experiment a bit. I just … overreacted.” He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. “You’re new and I didn’t know if you needed help or were just playing around. Just… maybe don’t pull too strong while I’m at work. Wouldn’t want to run over here multiple times a day. I might even accidentally drop a car on someone.”

“I’m sorry. Like I said, I didn’t mean to… call.”

“You probably didn’t. Hell, you hardly brushed over me. My wolf is just a bit more sensitive when it comes to you, I guess.” Dean flashed a sheepish smile.

At that, Castiel perked up. But not as much as his wolf. “Why?”

Dean looked at him for a long while and Castiel wished he could decipher all the different emotions that ghosted over the Alpha’s face. Then he closed the door behind him, but stayed firmly where he was, leaning against the doorframe, far away from Castiel.

“Because you’re my Mate of course,” Dean finally replied. He narrowed his eyes at Castiel. “Don’t you feel it?”

“I do. I just wasn’t sure you did as well. You didn’t say anything.”

Dean chuckled, and then he walked slowly over to Castiel. He sat down on the bed, at his feet, keeping a safe distance.

“You just came to us from Lucifer’s pack. I know enough about that bastard to be sure that it could not have been fun to live with him.” Castiel ducked his head, not willing to talk about his old packs. “You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to.” There was a little growl in Dean’s voice. “I don’t mean to pry, but Chuck wouldn’t have brought you here if you were happy.” Dean scoffed. “I realised that now. Anyway, I figured you should settle in first, before my wolf will overwhelm you by trying to court yours.”

Castiel’s lips twitched. “I don’t think my wolf will need much courting.”

Dean chuckled and held a hand out to stroke over Castiel’s cheek. The omega closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. Then he twitched a little, not sure if Dean expected him to fall into his arms right away. His wolf seemed happy at the thought, but Castiel was still hesitant.  

“But I would appreciate if you are willing to give me more time to settle in first.”

Dean let his hand fall from Castiel’s face and looked him over. A muscle in his jaw twitched.

“You seem … well healed.”

Castiel nodded. “Chuck saved me before anything too bad happened.” Castiel hoped that Dean would understand he was not only talking about his physical well-being. Dean still seemed tense, and Castiel tentatively took his hand. The Alpha’s skin was rough, like his hands were used to hard work. Another thing that Castiel liked without being able to explain why.

“I have to admit, when Chuck called me to pick you up, I wasn’t happy. I expected you would be either a spy or some brainwashed omega. I certainly was surprised when my Mate tried to challenge me on our first meeting.”

Castiel twitched, suddenly timid, and Dean pulled his hand away immediately. But then he saw the boyish smile on the Alpha’s face and realised he had only meant to tease him. It wasn’t a reprimand. And there was something else Dean had said that seemed odd.

“A spy?”

“Well, Lucifer and I, we are not on the best of terms. He always wanted this pack, and he tried something similar before. He likes to play mind games. And bringing in an omega into my pack to spy on me, that sounded like something he might do.”

“But you don’t think I’m a spy anymore?” Castiel was surprised that just one short meeting last night might have changed Dean’s mind.

“Are you?” Dean asked with a raised eyebrow.

“No,” Castiel answered simply.

“Good.” Dean smirked at Castiel’s disbelieving frown. “You might need more time before we make it official, Cas, but you are still my Mate. Your wolf knows it. He would never betray me to another Alpha. Just as I would never betray you.”

Castiel felt a pool of warmth spread from his chest through his whole body, not only by the alpha’s words but also the serious expression in his eyes. When Dean left him alone a few minutes later, his wolf still rumbled happily.

He could get used to his new pack, to his Mate.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Dean tries to get to know his Mate a little bit more – and Castiel joins his first Full Moon Hunt. (There will be some fluff.)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I present to you: A chapter of pure fluff. Enjoy – and don’t forget to brush your teeth afterwards! :-D
> 
> (Also a little warning: There will be a Hunt in this chapter. The main characters are wolves. They hunt other animals. If you don’t want to read about it, skip the second part of the chapter. But there is no graphig description.)

**SIX**

 

Castiel had been with his pack for over three weeks now, and Dean was starting to feel a little restless. Taking it so slow wasn’t something he was used to. But it was not like he was used to having a Mate, either.

All in all, Castiel had settled in nicely. He had made friends quickly, so Dean did not need to worry if he felt lonely or neglected; he had even started to work a little, to keep himself occupied. The Alpha believed that unemployed wolves – or rather those without a meaningful task – were usually dangerous, even though he was less concerned when it came to omegas. Cesar was currently between jobs as well, and Dean did not mind if he took some time before he decided what he wanted to do next. But he was still glad that his Mate had something he seemed to enjoy doing. When he wasn’t in his room brooding over foreign texts, Castiel seemed to spend a lot of time with Kevin and Charlie, and Dean assumed that was not only because they currently lived on the same floor. Just yesterday, Dean had walked in on them sitting closely together on the sofa, sharing one blanket while they were watching some episodes of Buffy. Castiel had looked like he had been caught doing something embarrassing, but Dean was only glad his Mate got some attention from his pack. Or maybe Castiel had only turned red because Charlie had made some comment about how Dean should join them on the couch – that was really too small for another person. Neither Dean nor Castiel had talked to anyone about the fact that they were Mates yet, other than the three wolves who had been present at the Claiming, but Dean was sure it would not stay a secret for long. No one knew better how to gossip than a pack of wolves. And Crowley constantly joked how Castiel and Dean looked at each other like some love-sick characters in a soppy TV show.

From what Dean had learned, Castiel was more of a quiet soul and didn’t need to be at the centre of everyone’s attention, didn’t even feel comfortable in that position. That was probably a good thing, since Dean himself could be a little boisterous, and it might be helpful if his Mate had a calmer influence on him. At least that was what Jody had said.

A Mate.

Dean still struggled to pull his head around that concept. He had been a wolf for over fifty years now, and he had never really expected to meet his Mate. It was not completely uncommon, but still, it was very rare. Just the thought that there was only one soul out there that would fit you so perfectly, and they had to be turned into a werewolf as well, seemed ludicrous. Garth thought that there was fate involved, that all Mates would be turned into wolves sooner or later, you just had to find them at the right moment. But it was easy for Garth to say as much, with him being the half of one of the two Mated couples in Dean’s pack.

But Dean figured there was some truth to it. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be _any_ Mates on this planet; the probability was just too slim. As it was, almost any pack had at least one couple.

But Dean had never suffered from the thought that he would live his life without a Mate; if anything, he had been glad how unlikely it would be to meet him. Even now, he still feared becoming too attached, too vulnerable. He was not like Gadreel, an old wolf in his pack who suffered because he thought the perfect Mate was out there, yet undetected, maybe already dead. Dean knew there were a lot of wolves who dreamed of Mating, Sam did as well, but he himself had never been one of those. He had never missed anything, not consciously at least.

But during the last three weeks, Dean had slowly grown to the idea of a Mate, someone at his side. Someone to share his life with. In all honesty, he had hardly another choice, considering that his wolf bounced around happily every time he merely thought about Castiel.

But even if Dean had believed in meeting his Mate one day, his mind would have probably come up with a different story. Since they were already in the same pack, Dean would have assumed they would just fall into each other’s arms, and he could drag the omega to his private home, where they would bond immediately. Without any complicated conversations or awkward pauses beforehand.

He would not have imagined waiting. To dance around each other in a way that sometimes almost pained him. His wolf was still patient, but Dean wanted to touch and kiss – to protect. To have the right to do so. He wanted to rub himself all over Castiel so his scent would stick to him, and everyone would know he belonged to him. In that matter, the wolf was even more urgent than the human part of him, considering how much scent meant to the beast. He didn’t mind seeing Castiel with other pack members – he was even glad that he seemed to have found his place so fast – but when he watched Castiel sparring with Ketch or get some combat tips from Cole, he would definitely prefer if the omega smelled like him. But he had a feeling that Castiel would just tense up again if he tried to scent mark him in human form. It _was_ pretty intimate.

It was not that Castiel seemed averse to Dean’s attention; he just acted --- reserved. He seemed to like it well enough when Dean touched him, as long as it was light and casual. He also spent time with Dean regularly, but when they were alone, he often got nervous. And Dean could understand that, he really did, considering that Castiel had been around total asshat Alphas before – but that didn’t mean he had to like it.

The silver lining was that no matter how restricted Castiel appeared at times, like the omega had said, his wolf seemed to be completely on board with Dean’s courtship. So, Dean had started to convince Castiel to go on little runs with him every other day. And that had been one awesome idea. His Mate was beautiful in his white coat with those adorable black socks. He was quick on his feet, almost outrunning Dean in his delight to roam the woods.

And whenever Castiel was in wolf form, he was a lot more approachable. He did not mind when Dean walked close enough so that their bodies touched. He would even get playful, licking Dean over one ear or nipping lightly at him. And once Dean had tackled him to the ground jauntily, Castiel had just rolled over and exposed his belly in a way that had Dean’s blood run hot. He could see that the omega invited him only to some nuzzling or tickling, but, boy, did Dean want to do other things as well.

After those runs, Castiel always seemed a little embarrassed, and Dean didn’t really know what to do about it. But he was starting to think he was not making any progress.

In a moment of weakness, he even consulted his brother.

“Ah, come on, Dean, I thought things were going great. I mean, the constant looks you two share. I don’t think there is one member in this pack who hasn’t caught up on what’s going on by now. You watch Cas like you wanna eat him up, and everyone knows you don’t usually start something with pack.”

Well, that much was true. As much as Dean had enjoyed sex since even before he had turned into a wolf, as soon as he started to take leadership, he had stayed away from engaging with pack members. It had been a stern advice from Bobby as soon as Dean took over, and the new Alpha had some wild ideas about what that said about Bobby’s past. Before he had met his Mate, obviously. Now that Dean had met Castiel, he was pretty sure it was damn near impossible for anyone else to attract him in the future – and he knew Bobby’s wolf was still faithful to Karen.

“Well, it’s … not going _bad_. I mean, we talk, and we run, and sometimes I can even make him laugh. And that’s something – because I gotta say, he has a strange sense of humour. But… I feel like we are stuck.”

Sam laughed. “Seriously, Dean, things are going great. Has no one ever made you wait before?”

Dean thought on that. “I don’t know. Usually, my approach is pretty straight forward. And then folks either respond in kind, or they don’t.”

“Yeah, but Castiel is not someone you picked up in a bar for a one-night stand.” Sam sighed. “And you know that he’s been through some tough times. To present as an omega in an old-fashioned pack can’t have been fun. Even though he might have averted a worse fate by throwing punches at Lucifer.” Dean growled just at the thought, but there was also a little bit of pride in that sound. He was glad his Mate was not of the timid kind. “How about you ask him out on a date?”

“A date?” Dean looked at Sam like he had lost his mind.

“Yep, Dean. A date. You know, that’s something people usually do when they find someone they’re interested in.” Dean refrained from telling Sam that those people usually did not have a _Mate_. It seemed a bit ridiculous to go on a date with your Mate. But Sam did not budge: “Take him somewhere that is not a house full of shifters who observe and analyse every move between the two of you.”

That seemed reasonable – he was already getting irritated by his pack watching him a little more closely than usually during the last few weeks. And so, Dean had asked Castiel out on a date.

The next day, they sat in a nice restaurant opposite each other, and Dean felt a little bit like a clumsy teenager. He could not remember the last time he had been on a date. Usually he went out to a local bar, had a few drinks and then would just approach one of the men or women who had been glancing at him all night. He wouldn’t want to brag, but he usually found someone who was up for a little fun in no time. But of course, a quick lay was not exactly what he was after tonight.

When Dean had asked Castiel to go out and have dinner, the omega had blushed heavily, but gave his consent in an eagerness that made not only Dean’s wolf rumble. Unfortunately, Rowena and Charlie had found out about his plans and hadn’t stopped giving him advice – Dean also noticed that they had not seemed even slightly surprised. The Italian restaurant had been the women’s choice, and Dean had to admit it had been a good idea. The place was nice, but not so fancy that he would feel uncomfortable. But he wished he had not let them talk him into wearing a suit. He felt like a douchebag. But he would have been underdressed for the place in his boots and flannel shirts. At least Castiel looked handsome in his button-down and blue tie that matched his eyes. He had also worn the trench coat he had arrived in weeks ago. It made him look like a Columbo doppelganger, especially with his ruffled hair, but Dean thought that was oddly cute. He had made a joke about it, but obviously, Castiel had never watched much detective shows, or TV in general, judging by his frown.

They made some awkward small talk in the beginning. Then Dean tried to start a topic that always got him in a good mood: hunting.

“So, Cas, you excited for the Full Moon tomorrow?”

Castiel blushed and played with the buttons on his shirt, sadly not opening them. Dean frowned. He had not thought the question would make Castiel feel uncomfortable.

“I mean the hunt? You’ve been sick on the last one, and your wolf must be eager to go out and howl at the moon.”

Castiel blushed even deeper, and Dean just kept staring at him, getting confused. And here he thought he had started a harmless subject. Maybe Castiel did not like to hunt. That would be --- fine.  Even though Dean was a bit disappointed at the possibility. But he could still catch something on his own and bring it to Castiel. Then they could share the meat together. His wolf was very eager at that idea.

“I don’t know, Dean,” Castiel finally replied. “I’ve never been on a Full Moon Hunt.”

“What? You mean like _never_ never? But … you’ve been changed nearly three years ago. How did your wolf take that?”

Castiel cleared his throat. “I’ve been told that omegas don’t need to go on a run on the Full Moon.”

Dean blinked. That could not be true, could it? He scoffed at himself. He had thought he had already understood everything about Castiel’s past. Not that the omega was very open about it – but Sam and even Kevin had tried to explain to him how life in Lucifer’s pack might have been for an omega. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his suddenly irate wolf and replied in a forced light tone: “Hell. I don’t want to know what Jody would do to me if I told her she has to stay inside on a hunt… Her wolf would probably eat me alive.”

Castiel chuckled, but when Dean looked at him, he stopped suddenly and even looked a bit guilty.

“What about those months you were on your own? You ever tried it then?”

Castiel shook his head. “No, I didn’t dare. I was scared someone would find me. And I was scared my wolf would snap without anyone to look out for me.”

“Cas, your wolf won’t ever snap – as long as you’re not in a life-threatening situation, I guess. And even then, he will only take over until you’re both safe. That’s the whole point of omegas. The wolf and the human don’t really argue, they live in peace.”

“Ever since my Change, I was told that was only because my wolf is too weak.”

Dean snorted. “You know that this is just bullshit by now, don’t you? I mean, the last time someone came into my home and tried to stare me down on our first meeting has been a long time ago. Twas probably Crowley.” Castiel blushed and Dean took his hand, not wanting him to feel embarrassed. “And unlike with most other folks, my wolf liked that very much. You’re strong. You should be, as an Alpha’s Mate.” At those words, Castiel’s face turned an even deeper shade of red, and Dean changed the subject again, retrieving his hand. “You can also shift easier as an omega, back and forth like it’s nothing. For alphas, it’s always a tough thing to do. And betas have an even harder time. So that is just another point for you omegas.”

There was a pause in their communication while they ate their main course, but it did not feel uncomfortable, probably because Castiel was smiling, and Dean’s wolf rumbled proudly for making the omega slightly happier. Dean knew that he – and others in his pack – had talked to Castiel about this before, about the value of an omega, but it probably still needed some time to sink in. Hell, with Kevin it had taken months.

“But omegas… we are still drawn to Alphas,” Castiel suddenly said as he put down his fork. “And we don’t want to lead. Not a whole pack – Jody and Kevin said so as well.”

“Everyone in any pack is drawn to their Alpha. As much as Alphas like to seek out omegas especially. Because they give us strength. It’s easier to control a pack with an omega around. And don’t forget, not all alphas want to lead a pack either. Look at Ketch. He is certainly dominant enough, but he never tried to get his own pack. Or Crowley. He is old and resourceful, and he was a leader once. Then they kicked him out and I took him in. And now, I think he even likes it better that way. He can pretend to be the head honcho and feel all important, without as much responsibility.”

“Pretend?”

“Well, we don’t broadcast pack politics to the humans, as you know. And a lot of people in this city seem to be convinced that Crowley is Alpha. Of course, no one asks directly, knowing that packs like to keep their secrets. They just assume. It makes sense – he certainly has the most expensive lifestyle of us all and lives in that ridiculous mansion with lots of servants. It suits us all. He can feel important and gets invited to all those boring banquets, while I have my peace and quiet to concentrate on the pack. Only our liaisons to the Mayor, the fire department and the police know. But most of our communication happens through Jody and the human Donna Hanscum anyway.”

“You took Crowley in, even though he had his own pack once?” Castiel seemed eager to get information and Dean was more than happy to provide them. As the Mate of the Alpha, Castiel should know as much as possible.

“Yeah, eventually. I made him work for it, but I have to admit, he is an asset. I didn’t know he would fit in at first, but so far, he has not done anything to disrupt the whole hierarchy.”

“Your pack is very peaceful. I’ve never been in one where not every alpha tries to step up. The whole bond seems well-grounded and controlled. You must be a good Alpha.”

Dean could feel a deep rumble leave his chest and he looked away sheepishly. His wolf was very happy at his Mate’s words.

“I try my best. And Bobby taught me well. But when someone feels like they get restless, they can always leave. Like Anna. She felt the need to lead and left a few years ago with a handful of wolves.” Dean still missed the woman, who had been confident and direct, but he was also proud she now had a large pack of her own. He was lost in memories for a moment, so he almost missed the wide-eyed look on Castiel.

“You just… let her go?”

“Course. She wasn’t happy anymore, and I knew she would make a great Alpha. Not to mention that she had backed me up when I fought for that position after Bobby was gone. Maybe she had not dared to try it herself back then. Female Alphas are still pretty rare, but 30 years ago, they were basically non-existent.” Dean stroked a hand over his face. “Anyway, sometimes, when a wolf is too strong and dominant, and has the urge to lead and protect, you have to let them go. She’s very young now, but I’m already preparing for the day when Claire will leave to start her own pack.”

Dean was dreading that day, even more so because he feared Claire would take Jody and Alex with her – but for now, that future was still far away. And he had to admit, he was a little proud of her every time Claire tried to look into his eyes directly. That girl had a lot of fire. She just needed to keep her strength – and her wolf – under control before she would be able to hold any pack.

Castiel looked at him with an expression he could not read, but for some reason, he felt his face redden.

“So you have never had any challenges from inside your pack?”

Dean chuckled. “Sure I did, but only few in between and mostly from new pack members. There had been Gordon Walker, for example. He had managed to break the bond and attacked me. You know, it was the first time it happened to me, and it’s a strange feeling.”

“Oh?”

“When you get challenged from inside, you can’t call on the whole pack. The bond is fractured. Every other fight, I can feel them all behind me, feel their strength. But a challenge from a pack member, it makes you weaker, and I think the suddenness makes the effect even stronger.”

“But Gordon did not defeat you?”

“No, but he lost control of his wolf during the fight, and I had to kill him.”

Castiel frowned. “Wouldn’t you have to kill anyone who dared to challenge you?”

“No necessarily. Look at Cole – he certainly looks alive.”

“Cole challenged you?” Castiel frowned in a way like he suddenly disliked that alpha a lot.

“Yeah, but to be fair, he had been a wolf for only a short time and not learned how to control himself properly. I thought the challenge was more a mistake than anything else, and I allowed him to stay.”

Castiel looked at him for a long time, and Dean started to feel uncomfortable. Finally, the omega proclaimed: “I’m really glad Chuck brought me here, Dean. You’re a good man.”

Dean blushed even deeper while his wolf howled.

Maybe taking it slow worked after all.

But Dean did not want to leave Castiel in the dark. He was not some hero. There lived a monster inside of him. “Don’t let yourself get fooled so easily, Cas. I’ve done horrible things in this life.” He looked to his empty plate to not let Castiel see the emotion on his face. “I’ve killed wolves. I’ve been responsible for the deaths of some of my own pack members. I make tough calls on a weekly basis. Hell, Cas, I’ve denied wolves sanctuary when I thought they would harm my pack. Five years ago, I even ripped out the throat of my best friend.”

Dean had expected Castiel to shy away from him after his confession, but to his astonishment, the omega reached out and took Dean’s hand in his.

“I’m sure this must have been horrible for you, Dean. I’m sorry you have to make hard decisions to keep us all safe.”

The alpha let out a long breath. He was almost overwhelmed by the understanding in Castiel’s eyes. The omega should be repulsed by him; he should not pity him.

For the rest of the night, talking felt hard to Dean – he was still struggling with Castiel’s easy acceptance. But the omega did not seem to mind that Dean had become uncharacteristically quiet.

At the end of their date, Dean walked Castiel to his apartment door. It was odd, accompanying someone home who lived right beneath his bedroom. And he felt like that clumsy teenager once more. He was not really sure how to say goodbye. Castiel fidgeted with the hem of his shirt and in the end, Dean brushed his lips over Castiel’s cheek.

Dean wasn’t sure, but he thought the omega looked a tiny little bit disappointed, so he lifted his hand and gently stroked over Castiel’s neck. The omega blushed deeply and looked to the floor when he noticed that Dean had scent-marked him.

Dean felt unsure again, but he managed to ask: “So… about the hunt tomorrow? What about the two of us set apart from the rest and I’ll show you how much fun it can be?”

Castiel smiled as he answered: “I’d like that very much, Dean.”

Dean waited until Castiel closed the door. When he was sure the omega would not hear him, he said in a low voice: “It’s bad manners to eavesdrop on other people’s conversations.”

With inhuman speed, he walked two doors over, where Charlie, Claire and Rowena stood in the doorframe to Charlie’s apartment and didn’t manage to close the door in time.

At least they had the decency to look embarrassed.

To no one’s surprise, the first one who recovered was Claire. “Oh, come on, Dean. Our Alpha has found a Mate. You can’t blame us if we want front seats to this once-in-a-wolftime occasion.”

“The girl is right, doll. If our mighty Alpha settles down with an omega, this affects us all.” Rowena even had the gall to pinch Dean’s cheek like an overly friendly grandmother.

“And as far as I know, you haven’t scored in weeks, Dean. We just worry about your health.”

Dean just stared at them in blank horror. What had he ever done to deserve such a family? But whatever he wanted to yell at them, he forgot about it as soon as Charlie ran towards him and hugged him tight, followed by Claire and Rowena, until he was in the middle of a cuddle pile.

Well, maybe his family wasn’t so bad after all.

 

>>><<< 

 

The next day, the whole pack met at dusk behind Dean’s house. It was not fully dark yet and the sky was tinged in a beautiful shade of blue. When Dean came out, the last of the group, most shifters had already turned into wolves, only Garth and Cole still struggled with the change. Usually, it was pretty hard to keep a wolf _back_ during a Full Moon – not impossible, but tough – however, if you struggled to keep your wolf in check any other day, it could still be a challenge to call them out on the spot. But Garth’s Mate Bess nudged him gently with her nose, and suddenly his wolf appeared. When Dean walked towards the group, he clapped on Cole’s shoulder once, and the man changed into a wolf in no time.

Dean loved the Full Moon. The wolves might be acting up more than usual, but if you gave them something to do, there was no other day when human and beast would be so much in balance. He looked over his pack – an unusual large one with nearly fifty shifters – and locked eyes with all of them for a moment. He felt pride swell in his chest, like on almost every Full Moon. His pack was strong and healthy. The bond vibrating with life and eagerness. He had not lost anyone to their wolves since Benny, not even the young ones like Claire or Pamela. Old wolves like Rowena, Crowley, Gadreel or Alex grounded everyone, almost as much as his omegas. The pack was well-balanced. They were a family. And even though Dean had only taken the mantle as Alpha around thirty years ago – and he had been a new wolf at the time, in their world – and most of his pack have found their way to the Winchesters after that, they worked surprisingly well together.

And on every Full Moon, Dean could watch them hunt like the perfect team they were.

Okay, he wouldn’t be able to watch them so much _this_ night – his eyes wandered to the white wolf by Charlie’s side. Castiel seemed excited, as the rest of the pack, but also nervous.

Dean grinned at his shifters, feeling agitated himself, and in less than a second, he changed from a fully clothed man into a big wolf with reddish brown fur.

He threw his head back and howled at the moon that already shone prominently at the sky, and the whole pack joined in. Like it was their cue, the wolves started to run, some in small groups, others only in pairs. Claire led Alex, Kevin and Pamela with an eagerly raised tail; Jody followed them warily with Sam. They would probably _accidentally_ stay near them for a while. Dean was glad – he didn’t like that two of his omegas were in the company of only two of his youngest wolves. Even though one of them was a spitfire and had trained with him nearly from day one. Claire would look out for them. He could almost hear Alex yell at him for thinking she needed protection, especially from some pup like Claire. Those two had become like squabbling sisters pretty fast. It was almost funny since Alex was so much older than Claire. Beth and Garth joined Crowley and Gadreel – a strange group, but Dean knew that the betas didn’t much like to hunt, and Gadreel would always keep them safe. For him, there was nothing more sacred than a mated couple. Unsurprisingly, Rowena joined Cole and Ketch – and those three would probably try to do something stupid. Again. And then Charlie even followed them with a mischievous glint in her eyes. A sure sign there would be trouble. Dean sighed. But his smile returned when he watched Jesse and Cesar taking off. Those two loved to hunt together, but it was not only deer they liked to chase on a Full Moon – and most people tried to avoid them during their own hunt. As he watched the couple vanish between the woods, Dean felt blood rush into his face at the thought of chasing Castiel. His wolf rumbled eagerly, but Dean could make him understand that a chase was probably not the best way to fully win Castiel’s trust. In the hopefully not-too-distant future, however…

When everyone had left, and his wolf had calmed down, Dean finally glanced at Castiel, who had stayed alone on the meadow. The smaller wolf looked to the ground, now evidently flustered, and Dean slowly walked over and licked over his ear playfully to reassure him. He had told Castiel before that he didn’t have to hunt anything, if he didn’t want to. This was about having fun. And Dean’s wolf was already excited just to spend the whole night at his Mate’s side.

He nudged Castiel gently, and then they were running together. And it felt awesome. Dean loved how Castiel’s wolf had fewer reservations than his human half. They rubbed over each other’s sides more often than not, and even tackled each other. Dean held Castiel down at some point, but the omega still struggled playfully, until the two rolled around in the cold, damp grass. When they finally lied still, Dean even rubbed his head over Castiel’s back to spread his scent all over him. He could have sworn he had heard the omega purr. They laid like that for a while, Dean stroking over Castiel while the white wolf happily opened up any spot Dean was trying to reach.

Then suddenly, Castiel’s ears twitched. He shoved the alpha off him and vanished into darker woods, leaving behind a dumbfounded Dean. For a second, he hoped it was an invitation to chase, but Castiel had not acted like that at all. Dean rather feared he had taken things too far – he had rubbed himself all over Castiel after all. While Dean was still undecided what he should do – run after him, or sent someone else to look for his omega, which would have been more than a little bit embarrassing, to be honest – Castiel already returned, with a squirrel in his mouth. He let the dead animal fall to the ground and looked proudly at Dean.

The Alpha was completely torn in that moment. Castiel looked absolutely adorable in his pride, but some part of Dean could not help thinking: You’re a goddamn wolf – couldn’t you have at least gone for something as big as a rabbit! He tried to reason with himself that squirrels were fast and not a bad catch for Castiel’s first attempt – but still, there was absolutely no meat on them.

As they ran on, Castiel still carrying his squirrel with him like it was a treasure, Dean heard some noise around them that promised to be a more rewarding target. He nudged at Castiel, telling him to wait without words, and then he pursued his prey. Dean usually did not hunt something as big as a deer alone, not because he thought he couldn’t do it, but because it was stupid – and he had often yelled at his pack for taking too many risks. You should at least have one partner, better a whole team, before you went after such big prey. But with his Mate being so close, Dean’s wolf got cocky, wanting to impress Castiel with his strength and skill.

So, only a few minutes later, Dean pulled a slain stag towards Castiel. He looked up at his Mate with a puffed-out chest and a wagging tail, expecting Castiel to watch him with wide eyes that shone from admiration for his mighty Alpha. But Castiel did not look impressed at all; he looked sad as his eyes fell on his own puny prey.

Dean instantly cowered in on himself, feeling guilty for making his omega feel insufficient. But his wolf would not have it with those human feelings, so instead of yammering, he decided to show Castiel how to hunt himself. He was obviously interested, or else he would not have gone after the squirrel in the first place. An hour later, when the omega approached a doe, however, Dean pulled him away. He did not want Castiel anywhere near something as big, yet. Maybe never. Probably never. So they started with a rabbit.

After they had been out for hours, they rested near the house and shared the hare. After some sad looks from Castiel, Dean could even be persuaded to eat the squirrel; at first, his wolf had tried to avoid it, no matter how much it might have pleased his Mate. But hunting and eating together was a big step, especially because Castiel had not been hesitant one moment the whole night. So Dean tried not to look like the squirrel was almost unswallowable – and was rewarded with a happy yip from Castiel, who even rubbed his head against Dean’s neck. That had made it worth it. But the Alpha’s happy mood came to an abrupt halt when they trotted back to the house. Suddenly, Dean’s hackles rose, and he involuntarily let out a warning growl. Castiel stopped and looked at him with wide eyes. Dean immediately rubbed his head over Castiel’s to reassure the omega the sound had nothing to do with him. But then he walked a few steps over, towards the dark woods. Dean was sure they were being watched. It would not be surprising – the forest may be vast, but there were still almost fifty wolves chasing about – but Dean was certain there was someone else out there. Someone who was not _his_. He took a sniff but could not smell anything unusual.

He walked a few steps further. But then Castiel let out a low whine and Dean turned around to see him looking almost scared. He must have felt Dean’s wariness, but he obviously did not know what was wrong. When he noticed Dean’s eyes on him, Castiel straightened and stared in the same direction the Alpha had been looking at with a low growl. Dean almost smiled – his Mate did not like to appear timid. But then they both heard something, and Dean turned around again, teeth bared. But out of the dark stepped only Sam, Jody and, to Dean’s surprise, Bobby. The old alpha lived alone near the city, and had an open invitation to the pack’s Runs, but he seldom joined them. Dean let out a little howl and he and Bobby bumped their heads together in joy to see each other. The group of three dragged a doe behind them and together they pulled Dean’s stag back to the house as well. On the front porch lied already multiple slain animals.

Tomorrow, they would have a feast.

Back in human form, Dean accompanied Castiel to his door, and they both said their goodbyes with wide smiles. Dean considered this hunt a big success – and not because of the deer. It was only after he had wished everyone a restful night and laid on his empty bed when Dean remembered the moment he had been sure they were being watched. His wolf growled at the unknown threat. Dean tried to calm him by brushing over the pack bonds inside him as he checked for every wolf.

The last one was Castiel, and Dean fell asleep with a small smile, knowing his Mate was safe and healthy.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Btw: That little scene when Castiel is excited over his dead squirrel and Dean feels a mixture of “aw” and “come on, man” was the first thing I had in mind for this story. It’s probably the reason I wrote the whole thing.
> 
> Next up: Castiel spends some time with Sam and learns a little about the brothers’ past.


	7. Chapter 7

**SEVEN**

 

When Castiel woke up, the first thing he noticed was that he was still full from last night’s feast. The night after the Full Moon, the pack had celebrated their successful Hunt with a vast amount of food that should have been enough to feed the whole city for a week; but for some reason, when the pack had cleaned up the kitchen at 2 a.m., no leftovers could be found. Castiel thought he might not be the only one who woke up today, feeling a little off from last night’s meal. However, he had enjoyed it very much at the time and he felt more connected to his new family than before – it had been oddly satisfying to hunt together, and then share your food, as a pack. He had never experienced either of those things before. Two days later, he still had somewhat mixed feelings about the Hunt – all in all, it had been a wonderful experience and he felt like his relationship with Dean was now even closer than before. But he was also a little embarrassed whenever he thought back on how proudly he had presented that squirrel to Dean. But still, he was happy the Alpha had eaten it nonetheless – it seemed very important to his wolf. To prove to his Mate that he could care for him as much as he knew Dean would look out for him in return. But Castiel hoped they would hunt a stag together next time – and everyone would forget about that sad little squirrel.

Castiel had never been a big fan of venison as a human, but he had to admit, that the food had tasted absolutely delicious. To his surprise, the big chef of the evening had been none other than Crowley McLeod. Castiel had never seen the cunning alpha anywhere near the kitchen before, though he should not have been so shocked since even Dean sometimes prepared a vast breakfast of pancakes and bacon for anybody who would currently live in the house. But Crowley had just always seemed like idle housework like cooking was beneath him. As soon as people started to clean up however, he excused himself quickly – and rightfully so.

Castiel was still amazed how well the pack worked together, and how no one seemed to grouch about their chores. When he had arrived a month ago, he had not thought it was possible that everyone would clean up after themselves, or even look out for others as well. He had been sure that Kevin exaggerated, probably for the sake of the new pack member. To not startle him from the beginning. But despite some bickering, everyone acted responsibly: Everyone who stayed at the house took care of their own rooms and did their own laundry; whoever prepared a meal for themselves always made enough to feed at least five more people; and after they were done eating, the kitchen always looked spotless. Twice a week someone from Magnus Cleaning Zoo – odd name, Castiel thought – came by and took care of the rest of the house as well as the empty guest rooms. And food was delivered multiple times a week, so the kitchen was always stocked.

Apart from the fact that no one expected omegas to mop after them, Castiel was still baffled how everyone was always welcome to stay at the Alpha’s home. Last week, Cesar had been fired from his job at a children’s hospital while his Mate Jesse had been out of town – Cesar’s boss had been pressured by the rich and _generous_ parents of a kid who had been scared by Cesar just because he could turn into a wolf. Since he had a mating mark prominently on his neck, he could never hide that fact – even if he wanted to. The omega was shaken up by losing a job he very much loved and moved into one of the guest rooms until his Mate would come back home. But when Jesse had returned, he temporarily moved into the Winchester house as well – his brother had just died at the age of 87 and he could use a little bit of cheering up as well. Dean had seemed mildly worried; since they were mated and had each other, the couple usually did not seek his closeness as much as other wolves. But Castiel could see that he didn’t mind their presence, as long as they would get back on their feet in the near future. And Castiel thought it was a wonderful concept that, even for a couple, there would be someone else to look after them as well if things got rough. Having a partner was great, but it did not substitute a family or a close friend. Castiel believed that you needed more than one person in your life; someone else you could trust – even though he himself had never managed to live in a comfortable safety net of friends and family. Until now.

 Another thing Castiel had learned while Cesar stayed in the house was that a temporarily unemployed werewolf did not have to worry about his finances – the pack had special resources that would always take care of the needs of the wolves that couldn’t help themselves. As much as the big house and the massive amount of food was paid by the pack’s money. Dean believed it was not healthy to put additional pressure on a shifter – even though he encouraged them to find new work quickly, to have a meaningful task. But at least no one would be put in an existential crisis if they lost a job or suddenly had a big, unplanned expense. But financial support or a warm bed and food was not the only thing a wolf in need would receive when they moved into the headquarters. Dean always spent time with every wolf that came to his house for balance. Castiel knew that, when he finally mated Dean, he would never have the Alpha just for himself. But instead of being grim about that prospect, there was a warm feeling in his stomach at the idea. Dean caring so much about every member of his pack, Castiel could not possibly see this as a bad thing.

But that certainly did not mean the Alpha was cuddly and sweet all the time. Just last night, as the whole pack had been assembled in the big house, tempers ran high. Even though the place was big, and the shifters were spread around the kitchen, the rarely used dining room and the living room, it was a tight fit. Everyone had fun, yes, they all laughed a lot, but that didn’t mean the mood could not shift from happy to dangerous in an instant. With so many easily challenged alphas in one place, there was always the possibility of a fight in the air. Castiel had noticed that Dean hardly got the chance to eat himself, constantly reprimanding one pack member or helping another before his wolf snapped. And Castiel could see that though Dean was well liked and respected, he could be easily feared. When he got annoyed with someone, or when things didn’t work out quickly enough, Dean could be abrasive, and he definitely had a temper. He would not only get angry, he was positively pissed. But Castiel had by now realised that Dean mostly got mad when his wolves endangered themselves, or each other. And he believed that Dean did not even realise just how scary he was – or rather, that he did not only look scary to those he wanted to intimidate.

One time, when Rowena, Cole and Claire argued about who was the better hunter, all three of them were close to letting their wolves lose. Suddenly, everyone was glancing at them in nervousness. Kevin cowered in on himself, and Castiel sat down next to him and held his hand. He himself remembered scenes like that too well – when wolves might just break out and barge at each other. But nothing like that had happened last night. Dean had pulled at the pack bond with a sudden force and roared so loud it could probably be heard throughout the whole forest. That one action had put an end to the fighting and bickering for the rest of the night. Everyone had bared their throats to Dean, some wolves – among them the three who had almost ripped into each other – even were pulled down on their knees. The atmosphere was not as laid-back afterwards, but neither was it as dangerous.

After his outburst, Dean had immediately looked towards Castiel, and relief was obvious in his eyes. Only then did Castiel notice that he was the only wolf in the room who had not bared to Dean.

And that had been a crucial experience for Castiel. He had been aware that no matter how ferocious and scary the Winchester Alpha could be, Castiel did not fear him. Dean was no threat to him, and would never be. His wolf had accepted Dean the moment he had claimed him as a member of his pack, but now it had finally reached Castiel’s human side.

Dean had been so patient with him. He had taken it slow, even though Castiel was sure his Alpha would have liked to just throw Castiel over his shoulder and carry him to his bed since that first night. But he had considered that Castiel’s experiences with alphas were not all fun. And even if he had not felt so hesitant because of his past, Castiel usually took a little bit longer until he felt a physical attraction for someone. No matter what his wolf thought.

Castiel grinned a little bit sheepishly as he sat up from the bed. He had definitely reached the point where he felt more than a little bit turned on by Dean. He thought about how the Alpha had nuzzled him and licked over his throat while the two of them had been in wolf form two nights ago. Castiel felt his pulse quicken at the thought that the Alpha might do the same things to his human body. He decided he would take a long shower before he went down to get a breakfast coffee – eating was out of the question.

Nearly an hour later, he stepped into the kitchen, with a happy blush on his face. There was only Sam, reading some newspaper with a cup of coffee beside him.

“Hey, Cas. Slept well?”

Castiel’s eyes narrowed at Sam, but the beta obviously didn’t mean it as a criticism. Castiel was a bit of a night owl – which meant he got up as late as possible and was hardly ever awake while everyone else was already finished with breakfast. Since he worked on a freelance basis, he could set his own hours, and he was quite happy with that. He had just gotten a new assignment and was glad he had something to do while most of his pack members were out at their own jobs. But after everyone had been up so late last night, he felt a little guilty for sleeping in. But Sam was not at his workplace yet either, was he?

“Yes, thank you, Sam. What about you? Aren’t you usually in your office by now?”

“Well, I have a court appointment in an hour and thought I’d drop by here instead of my office. I like to start my week slow, with a hot cup of coffee in this very kitchen. Always makes me a little less grumpy on a Monday morning.”

In his old packs, that might have been a strange statement, but here, shifters would often come by to just stay for an hour or even less, enjoying the company of other wolves. Castiel poured himself a cup of the black liquid, added three spoons of sugar, and sat down next to Sam. His impression from the first day had only intensified by now: He liked Sam, and his wolf was as relaxed in his presence as he was with Kevin or Charlie.

“Do they… do they know you’re a werewolf? You know, your clients, and the judges. The police or whoever you have to deal with on a daily basis.”

It was still odd to Castiel that Dean let every pack member decide for themselves if they wanted to come out as wolves in their work places. Just as much as it felt odd that they all worked in different jobs to begin with, and not for the one big Alpha-owned company. But the only pack members who worked for Dean at his garage were Mick and Pam. The fact that everyone’s pack marks were so far down made it easy to hide them, made it possible. On top of that, they were all allowed to interact with humans, to befriend them. Jody´s best friend was another police woman. Castiel thought about how different his life might be now if only Zachariah had allowed Meg to be his friend. Maybe he would not have chased after her. Maybe he would still be human.

But then he wouldn’t have met Dean, at least not as a wolf. Castiel felt a painful sting at the thought. He wished a lot of things had gone different in his life, he wished Meg was still with him, but he would not want to be anywhere else right now than in the Winchester pack.

“Yes, everyone knows. It’s safer that way.”

“But you’re a federal prosecutor? The city allows that?”

“I’m also very good at my job, and this is a pretty liberal town. Most folks around here are able to see past the prejudice. And I have never turned into a wolf in court, so…” Sam shrugged. “Besides, it even helps them to have a shifter on their team, if there should ever be any problems with our pack. And I’m not alone. There are quite a few of us working in public services. We do our own part in keeping the city safe.”

Castiel thought about this for a while, then he said: “Dean and Kevin both mentioned something like that before, that the shifters and the humans live in peace here. Dean even joked it was your idea to turn us into the _good wolves_.”

Sam laughed. “And I’d say it turned out pretty well. Werewolves often live secluded, and the only interaction humans have with us is when they get into a fight. And since we are much stronger and usually win, we are feared. And that is as dangerous for the humans – since smelling fear sparks an instinct to hunt in every wolf – as it is for us. Think back about fifty years. Humans had tried to eradicate us completely. We were just lucky that most political leaders were searching for more peaceful solutions at the time. Most shifters still live in their own world, with their own rules and laws. In the end, as long as we don’t go around and kill humans, they leave us in peace. Mostly. Of course, some are stupid enough to try and attack a werewolf pack. But being so secluded also means that, to most wolves, humans don’t matter. They have a shorter life span, they are weaker and seem easy prey. But they are still _people_ , you know. And we have a human side as well – nurturing only our wolves turns us into mindless beasts that have to be put down by a pack alpha before they go on a killing spree. And I don’t think we should live completely separate. With our disposition, we can help humans as much as hurt them. So, a lot of our wolves work in the fire department, or as paramedics or police officers. But Dean only allows those who know how to handle dangerous situations without being overwhelmed by their animalistic side in those jobs. And gradually, we built some trust in the humans of this city. In urgent matters, the police force even calls us for help. The close relations had probably started ten years ago, when there had been a train wreck – our wolves got in and pulled all the survivors out. Two years ago, a horrible storm passed us. We got everyone to safety, and even helped to rebuild the city afterwards – both with our bare hands and our money. You know, when I got turned into a wolf a few years after Dean, my brother had already started to think as a wolf, and had almost left the human world. When I first told Dean about how we could look out for the people of the city as much as our pack, Dean thought we should not get involved in human matters, but, eventually, I got through to him. And I think by now, he would never walk by a burning house himself. Even if it would be of that guy who has a _Werewolf Hunt_ \- sign on his porch.”

Castiel thought about this for a while, thought about how protective – and possessive – Dean could be about his pack. “You think… you think Dean had started to see the whole city as his?”

To Castiel’s surprise, Sam threw his head back and laughed heartily. “I like you, Cas. You’re smart. But don’t tell anyone about your assumptions, please, least of all Dean. I don’t think he has really internalized it by now, and I would like if he never thought about it too closely. He might do something stupid, like getting himself elected as mayor or something.”

Castiel felt hurt, if only for the sake of his Mate. “You think that would be so bad?” He noticed his tone had been anything but friendly.

Sam sobered up and looked at Castiel with a soft smile. “I think that Dean has been a werewolf too long to remember how to lead humans. Or do you think it would help if the city council was engaged in a heated argument – and then Dean just roared at them until they all shut up? Maybe he could even shift into his massive wolf and snarl at someone. I admit that can be necessary amongst werewolves, but humans usually like a more diplomatic approach.”

Castiel chuckled. Sam was right. Dean might be a great Alpha for a pack of wolves, but insubordinate humans would just annoy him into doing something really stupid.

“You said that you were turned into a wolf some years after Dean. I never heard about actual family members being shifters. Did Dean turn you? Were you sick?” Castiel regretted asking as soon as he looked into Sam’s stony face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to pry. You don’t have to tell me.”

“It’s okay, Cas. You have a right to know.” Sam had a concentrated look as he folded the newspaper in front of him. He probably only did it so accurately to gain time to think about his next words. “No, Dean did not turn me. And he never would’ve. Being an alpha, and being as dominant as he is, Dean had a really hard time changing into a werewolf. I think it took him at least two decades to finally come to terms with his new nature. He still seems to think he is some kind of monster. It certainly did not help that he got Changed by an Alpha named Alastair, who was cruel and vicious and expected all his alphas to be like him. One day, Dean got free of him however, and eventually landed in Bobby’s pack.” Castiel opened his mouth to ask a load of questions, but Sam held up a hand. “That’s not my story to tell, Cas. You’d have to ask Dean about it. I wish you good luck, because he usually refuses to talk about the first years after his Change. All I’ll say is that Alastair seemed to have been obsessed with the idea of turning Dean into some sadistic bastard like himself.” Sam licked his lips. “But like I said, he freed himself; then Bobby found him and took him in. And with Dean’s dominance levels, he quickly became the Second of the Pack. And I think he was content in that position. Bobby was like a father to him, and taught him about a different way to lead, and a different way to look at those around you. The whole pack thrived under them.” Sam paused, and Castiel thought about the man he had met two days ago. From the first moment, it had been obvious how much Dean cared about Bobby, and vice versa. Yesterday, the old wolf had even joined them on their feast, to everyone’s obvious surprise. Castiel had been a little intimidated by the former Alpha – he had looked his way the whole night, not in a malicious way, but Castiel had still been nervous. Like when you met the parent of your boyfriend for the first time, which was probably not that far from the truth. After Dean had had his little outburst, Castiel had gently tugged on his bond and then Dean had settled at his side, between Castiel and Kevin, one arm around each. Then Bobby had almost smiled at him, and Castiel had felt relieved; like he had his approval. Seeing them together last night, Castiel could easily depicture Bobby teaching Dean about being a wolf.

Castiel was so lost in thought, Sam’s next words felt like a bucket of ice water: “And then Lucifer decided to take over Bobby’s pack.”

Castiel shivered, and he could see Sam observing him closely. The omega nodded, indicating that it was safe to go on – he would not have a breakdown just because Sam talked about his old Alpha.

“I suppose that I don’t have to tell you how Lucifer acts. He is cunning, and patient. He plans before he attacks, and his first steps are seldom direct. So, his first strike was not against the whole pack, it was against the Alpha’s Mate, Karen. She got killed during a Full Moon Hunt, and at the time, the pack seemed to think it was an accident. Bobby had never recovered from that loss. A Mate makes every wolf stronger, especially an Alpha – and especially if said Mate is an omega.” Sam shot Castiel a meaningful look and the omega turned beet red. No one, not even Kevin, had ever talked to him about being Dean’s Mate directly, but from everyone’s behaviour, he was quite sure it was no secret. He was also quite sure that most shifters seemed to be pleased by the idea that their Alpha had found a Mate. “But after Karen had died, Bobby was weaker than before he had Mated. He was overwhelmed with grief, of course.” Castiel felt a pang of pain in his chest, thinking about a dead Mate. Dean had not even marked him yet, but the mere idea of his passing still had his wolf whine out. “And he had troubles to hold the pack together. There was a lot of infighting, and it became solely Dean’s job to keep everyone in line. Bobby had almost resigned at that point. I think he had been waiting for Dean to take over, but my brother didn’t want the job. And I believe he was too loyal to Bobby to ever even think about challenging him. Then the hierarchy got disrupted even more. The third in line, Rufus, left the pack after his lover was killed in one of those infights, blaming Bobby for it because he had been unable to stop it. The pack was weakened, vulnerable. But still, Lucifer did not attack. With Bobby basically out of the way, he went after his biggest threat next.”

“Dean,” Castiel whispered, gripping his mug tightly as the story captured him. He was fairly sure this was the moment, Sam would come in.

The beta nodded. “But like he had done with Bobby, he took a less direct route than a personal challenge.” Sam licked his lips, thinking for a moment. “After Dean had been turned into a wolf, he had avoided me, believing he was too dangerous to be around me. He thought I was better of without him in my life – and of course, Alastair had forbidden any contact with humans. So, after my brother had suddenly disappeared, I had slowly come to terms that he was probably dead. For five years, I thought my brother was dead. Our parents had already passed away a long time ago at that point, and my brother had always been my closest family. He’d been my hero, sometimes as much a father to me as he had been my brother. Parent and best friend in one. I had mourned him, and it took a long time until I started to fight my way back into life.” Sam closed his eyes and Castiel could see that he still had a hard time when he thought about those years, even though decades have passed. “I was employed by a small law firm when I met Ruby. From her bite mark, I knew she was a werewolf instantly. She flirted with me and I was fascinated. You know, not many humans had a close relationship with a werewolf at the time – they were even more evasive than these days. And I felt like I was somehow --- special.” Castiel nodded, remembering how he had felt when he had met Meg. “We went out a few times, and I fell in love rather quickly. I was excited about her bad girl vibe and got cocky because she had chosen _me_ to be with her. And then one night she Changed me.”

Castiel blinked at the sudden turn of events. He opened his mouth to ask a question, but Sam interrupted him: “No, I wasn’t sick, nor was I dying. She just did it. Because Lucifer had ordered her to do so, I am now convinced, even though the Alpha had always denied it and washed his hands of responsibility. Probably to avoid getting into trouble with the Father. Ten days later, I woke up in Lucifer’s house and got claimed by the Alpha.” Castiel’s eyes widened. “Yes, Cas, you were not the only one who had once served in that pack. Though my time with him was a bit longer. And probably friendlier.” Castiel’s brows furrowed – he felt deceived because Sam had never mentioned Lucifer before. It might have been easier for him on that first day if Sam had told him they had a similar history. “I’m sorry I never mentioned this before, Cas. It is not something I like to talk about – and as I’m sure you know by now: Most wolves don’t enjoy talking about the past, especially not the bad stuff. Anyway, it was a long time ago.” They locked eyes for a moment, and after Castiel nodded in acceptance of the apology, Sam picked up his story: “When I woke up, disoriented and hurt, Ruby was still at my side, telling me about how she loved me and how she had only Changed me so we could be together. And I believed her.” He scoffed. “I’m pretty sure Lucifer was disappointed with me from the beginning though – his plans had probably foreseen that I would turn into an equally dominant alpha as my brother, and for us to engage in some epic fight for leadership.”

“Did you?”

Sam thought on that for a moment. “Yes and no. At least not the way Lucifer had anticipated. Anyway, I had been with him for some years, and got… brainwashed. Lucifer had always been kind to me, and I was too stupid to see how he treated his other wolves. How scared his pack was of him. One day, he called us all together to attack an evil fiend. Bobby Singer. He had told me some stories about how the leaders of this pack were all sadistic and dangerous and that killing them would be the right thing to do.” Castiel looked at him with wide eyes. Sam was smart – how could he simply have believed such things. But he had to admit, if he woke up in a pack and had been treated kindly by the Alpha so far, he had probably no reason to distrust him. And who said that smart people could not be stupid at times. Sam let out a humourless laugh. “Trust me, Cas, I can see the irony as well.” He licked his lips again. “Lucifer had told me that the pack was a danger to humans, that they killed in secret – and even then I had some ideas about how humans and werewolves should live together in peace. So, we sneaked to the border of this territory – and Lucifer first sent Ruby in as a spy. She came back, just before the fight started, and told me she had seen my brother. She allegedly knew his face from some photos I kept.” Sam closed his eyes, this time in shame. “She said he was one of those heartless wolves, and she planted ideas in my mind about how he had betrayed me for not letting me know he was still alive. She knew how much I had missed him; that I had felt abandoned, even when I thought it had not been his choice to leave me. She knew exactly which buttons to push. And I got so angry, Cas. I had mourned him – and here he was all healthy, and obviously part of a vicious pack. When they had riled me up as much as they could, Lucifer started the attack. Dean and I ran into each other quickly – undoubtedly orchestrated by Lucifer. It wasn’t a pleasant meeting. I was just so mad.” Sam huffed out a another humourless laugh. “And Dean was hit hard by the fact that I had been turned as well. He was definitely weakened, like Lucifer had planned. We did fight, but I believe neither of us was fully behind it. And no matter how mad I was at my brother, my wolf seemed happy to see him. Dean had finally pinned me down but seemed unsure what he should do with me --- in the end, he just turned around and left. Soon afterwards, Bobby’s pack defeated us, and we had to turn back. Those of us who still lived.”

“But how? How did they win? With neither Bobby nor Dean on full strength?”

“Well, for one, Lucifer made the mistake of taking the fight to them. And as you know, every pack is stronger in their own territory. Lucifer probably thought that was not important, considering he had weakened both the Alpha and his Second. He might have thought he could take them out quickly, so the bond would break. But when Bobby saw Dean and I fight, it seemed to have pulled him out of his trance. He took the reins again, and lead the pack through the battle as a unit.”

Castiel still listened with wide eyes. “And what about you?”

“I returned with Lucifer, still angry at Dean, still believing that Ruby loved me and Lucifer’s pack was the better one.” Sam scoffed. “But that changed quickly. After his plan had not worked out, I came to be a sole disappointment to Lucifer. And Ruby made it obvious that she had only flirted with me because of his orders. I spent another few weeks with them, slowly realising that Lucifer was not at all the caring Alpha he had liked to pretend to be. I realised how he treated omegas, and most betas. How he had no regard for humans – or anyone else but himself. And then I broke the bond.”

“You broke the bond?” Castiel asked in disbelief. It was nearly impossible to break a bond without the Alpha’s consent. And the few times Castiel had heard about it was by an alpha – usually when they challenged the pack leader for his position.

“Lucifer seemed just as surprised as you are. But I broke free – and then I ran to the only place that came to my mind.”

“To Dean.”

“Yes. Just when I was behind the boarder, Ruby caught up with me. She tried to kill me, and after days of running, without sleep or food, I wasn’t strong enough to fight her off. But out of nowhere, Dean arrived, and together, we defeated her. He then brought me to Bobby, who claimed me that very night, no questions asked. Things had been tense between me and Dean for a while afterwards, but Bobby was patient with us. I fear Dean even blamed himself for what had happened to me. Like I said, at the time Dean thought of himself more of a monster than a man, and he would have never wanted the same fate for me. Lucifer had only attacked me to get to Dean – not that _I_ think that was his fault.” Sam shrugged, an oddly mundane gesture for the heavy topic. “But eventually, we became brothers again.”

“How did Dean take the pack? It doesn’t sound like he really wanted it?”

“One day, a wolf challenged Bobby for leadership and even though he won, the Alpha wasn’t strong enough to hold the whole pack any more after the fight. Dean pitched in, probably as much to save Bobby as the pack, and since then he is Alpha. Bobby decided to spend his days as a lone wolf, even though he is always welcome here, and will be as long as Dean or I am alive.”

“Dean was very young to become Alpha.”

“He was. Hell, he still is. And the first ten years, like in any other pack, had been a turmoil of challenges from inside and out. Some wolves left – Dean didn’t make only friends by appointing a beta as Second and a woman, Anna, as Third. He never forced anyone to join; he only claimed those who wanted to stay. But there were also a lot of wolves who came to us over the years. Wolves who agreed with our form of leadership. Or those who had been brought here by Chuck,” he added with a warm look at Castiel.

“What about Lucifer? Did he just give up so easily? From what I have heard, he still hates this pack.”

“He tried once more, about twenty years ago. But by that time, Dean was well in the saddle, and our pack has only gotten stronger ever since.”

“I think he still covets this pack,” Castiel mumbled. “I heard them talk about the Winchesters sometimes. From what they said, I thought you were a scary and wild pack, but Lucifer still… had some respect for you. He almost fears you.”

Sam laughed. “I should hope so. The last time he tried something, we took out a fair share of his alphas.” He sipped at his coffee again, then looked at Castiel who had a deep frown on his face. “I don’t think he is stupid enough to try something again, Cas. And even if he does, we will handle it. You’re safe here.”

Sam laid a hand on Castiel’s shoulder for a moment before he said his goodbye and finally went to work. Castiel felt a strange new bond formed with the beta, knowing that both of them had suffered from Lucifer.

He poured another cup of coffee and walked upstairs to work on his translation. It was only a small job, and almost painfully easy, but he was glad for it. Accustoming to a new pack still left enough food for his brain every day. And Sam certainly had provided a lot right now.

So, while he was translating brochures about investment options in the Netherlands, he thought hard about Dean and the harsh fate he had endured after he had been turned into a wolf. But Castiel realised that most of the wolves he knew had a dark past – and like Sam had said, they did not really ever talk about it.

 

>>><<< 

 

When he saw Dean again that night, Castiel felt that pleasant flutter in his stomach that he had grown used to. Dean came home late, smelling of grease and oil like most workdays and excused himself to a quick shower before he made it to the kitchen. Then he walked around the house and a few steps into the woods, like he had done the previous day, multiple times. Castiel thought something bothered Dean, but the alpha had not mentioned anything unusual. Dean finally returned to the kitchen and eyed the leftovers from dinner. He shrugged, and sat down with a plate full of smashed potatoes, a chicken wing, some meatballs and a slice of pizza. It was not an unusual mixture after three different people had cooked and you came in late enough to be stuck with the rest.

When the Alpha started to eat, Kevin and Rowena, the only people who had still been in the kitchen beside Castiel, excused themselves quickly, put their plates into the dishwasher and left. Castiel frowned. It was happening more and more often that members of the pack tried to give Dean and him some alone time – and they were not subtle about it. They had even cleared the living room on occasion, leaving only the two Mates on the couch. He had never heard Dean talk about it to anyone, but Castiel feared that the whole pack was starting to wonder why Castiel was still living in his own small apartment. Unmarked.

And Castiel was starting to wonder as well.

They were chitchatting for a while, about Dean’s day and Castiel’s boring translations, and Castiel liked how easily they talked with each other by now. When they started to clean up together – washing all the pots and pans as well as sweeping the floor – Castiel said in a way that he hoped sounded all incidental: “I talked to Sam today. About how he had been Changed, and Lucifer. It sounded like you two struggled a lot after he had been turned into a wolf.”

Dean tensed, then: “That was a long time ago. We are brothers, always have been, always will be.”

Castiel understood that Dean did not want to talk about that time, so he mentioned something else that had interested him ever since he had met Sam and Dean: “I’ve never heard about actual family members turned into wolves before. At least I have never met any.”

“It’s rare. Understandably so, given that you are only allowed to Change the dying, and that less than one out of twenty even survives the Change. But look at Rowena and Crowley.” Castiel blinked in shock – he had not known those two were related. They certainly did not act like it. Dean chuckled. “Yeah, we all believe that their wolves don’t acknowledge they are mother and son, either. Or maybe they have always been like this.” He paused, and something in his tone changed when he added: “We had another pair of mother and daughter before, Ellen and Jo.”

Dean’s voice was so hollow, Castiel almost did not dare to ask: “What happened to them?”

“We lost them in a fight against Lucifer. The second time he tried, _after_ I had taken the pack.” Dean took a deep breath, and Castiel thought he sounded like he was struggling with tears. “Ellen was an omega, too.” Suddenly, he chuckled. “And, boy, did she sometimes chew me out. Since I had been Alpha, no one quite dared to talk to me the way Ellen did.”

“Not even Sam?” Castiel asked, knowing that Sam was not holding back around Dean either.

“Well, Sam has more… tact. Ellen would just yell at me whatever was on her mind at the moment She could hug me and then slap me in the face the next second.” A sad smile crept on Dean’s face. “I still miss her tirades. And Jo was like an annoying little sister. She didn’t hold back that much either. Anyways, I had not been able to save them when Lucifer and his goons attacked.”

Castiel walked up to Dean and took his hand.

“I can only imagine how hard it must be for you. Losing someone of your pack.”

“It’s my job to protect them, Cas.” The pain was obvious in his voice.

“But sometimes, things just happen. You’re a good Alpha, Dean. You do everything you can. But you cannot protect everyone, no one can. Just because you’re Alpha, doesn’t mean their death is your fault.”

Dean looked like he wanted to respond, but no words came out of his mouth. They just looked into each other’s eyes for a while, then they moved forwards at the same time. Castiel had expected to finally be kissed, but the Alpha only pulled his arms around him and they stood in a firm embrace. That was all right with Castiel as well. He drank in the calming scent of Dean and leaned even closer when he felt Dean’s hand at his neck and in his hair, marking him once more. The Alpha had done it more and more often, almost every time they met, and Castiel liked to have his scent around. He knew Dean did this with other pack members as well, and everyone smelled a little bit of the Alpha, but he liked to think it was different with him, more meaningful. It was also the only intimate gesture Dean ever did to him – otherwise the Alpha seemed to be waiting for Castiel to set the pace. The problem was, as direct as Castiel could be, he was still shy in some areas. He cleared his throat and said to Dean’s shoulder, because that was easier than talking to his face:

“You know, Dean, maybe you could show me your room tonight. We could watch a movie there, or you know, do… other things.” Castiel, master of the words.

Dean pulled back and looked at Castiel in surprise. He seemed very excited at Castiel’s insinuation. The omega smiled shyly, and then followed some instinct. He retrieved his hands from Dean’s back, turned around and ran out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Like he had hoped, Dean was chasing after him. But he had not expected for the Alpha to catch him that quickly. Castiel had only hardly made it to the first floor – not even close to Dean’s or even only his own room – when Dean pushed him against the wall with a playful growl. Castiel chuckled nonetheless, and offered his throat in defeat. Dean did not hesitate to nip into the sensitive flesh, and Castiel felt his body tingle in arousal. Dean let out another rumbling sound, and pushed Castiel even harder against the wall, both of their bodies touching nearly from head to toe.

And then, finally, Dean’s lips were on Castiel’s. It was a brief touch at first, Dean pulling back a little, giving Castiel space and time to turn away, but the omega only grabbed Dean’s nape and pulled him down again. With a light chuckle, Dean moved his soft lips over Castiel’s.

In retrospect, Castiel could not say how long they stood there, kissing with tongue and teeth; he only remembered how absolutely wonderful he felt.

Until there came a loud knock from somewhere.

At first, Castiel hardly registered it. Pack members came and went all the time. Even though they did not usually announce themselves that way. The door was never locked. But Castiel only worried there could be something wrong when Dean suddenly left his side and raced down the stairs with another growl – but this time it sounded a lot more threatening than before.

Castiel hesitantly followed Dean; and in the hall stood his Alpha, Sam, who had obviously just opened the door, and a young man Castiel had feared he would never see again.

“Jack?” Castiel asked in disbelief.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This long-ish chapter will be followed by a short one. A little bit of Dean’s perspective on their… guest.
> 
> Kudos + Comments = One Happy Writer :-D


	8. Chapter 8

**EIGHT**

 

This was heaven.

Dean nibbled at Castiel’s bottom lip before he slowly teased his tongue into the omega’s mouth. His Mate’s happy scent was inebriating, and he tasted even better.

Dean felt Castiel push his hips forwards and he let out a low growl. Gods, he had waited an eternity for this. Finally, both Castiel and his wolf seemed interested in more than just casual touches. His hand was in the omega’s thick hair, the other one on his hips while Dean was already contemplating how quickly he could undress him. His wolf urged him to just throw him over his shoulder and carry him up to his bedroom. But Dean feared this might be a little bit too much on the caveman side for Castiel. It had taken weeks for him to make a first step, and Dean did not want to frighten him off with an impulsive move. Moreover, he did not necessarily have to have sex with him right now – even though he was certainly up for that – but at least he wanted to stay as close to his Mate as he was right now for another few hours. Maybe days. After the long wait, Dean wanted to finally touch and caress Castiel in human form the way he had as a wolf before. Involuntarily, he let out a little moan at the thought.

Dean was still thinking about various possibilities to get Castiel into his bedroom as fast as possible, when he heard a loud knock from the door. He unwillingly divided his attention between Castiel’s soft skin and his perfect smell, and what was happening downstairs. People did not usually knock on his door, and if they did it meant trouble, more often than not.

He registered that someone opened the door – and then his nose picked up an unknown scent. From an unclaimed werewolf. He growled in frustration. Damn, of course they would get interrupted. Things never got smoothly in the life of Dean Winchester. He pushed Castiel back, in an unconscious attempt to keep him safe from whatever was about to happen, and ran down the stairs; his senses now fully alert and focused on the newcomer. The disappointment of having to break away from his Mate probably made him more edgy than the situation would have called for.

But even at a more convenient time, Dean would not have liked it if someone came to his territory unannounced. And his wolf liked it even less. Fortunately, other shifters were usually smart enough to avoid walking up to the pack quarters and knocking at the door without any invitation. Even those who sought for a new pack, or had some other urgent business to attend to, had enough wits about them to make their presence in his city known, easy to find, and wait until they were approached. Or better yet, they called in advance.

As soon as Dean reached the door, his temper calmed down, slightly. He already wanted to bark at the intruder for his stupid behaviour when his wolf recognised him as hardly more than a pup. He seemed young. Not only by the looks of him – those could be deceitful; after all, Alex still looked like a teenager and she was a lot older than Dean – but by the way he held himself, Dean would have almost wagered his Impala that he had not been a wolf for longer than a year. A few steps behind the young shifter stood Gadreel, almost hidden in the dark. Good – Dean would have been really mad if his guard of the day had not noticed the intruder. But since he had obviously just walked right up and knocked at the door, Gadreel had obviously not seen the stranger as a threat. But he had probably assumed he was stupid. Even Sam, who stood next to the Alpha, looked at the stranger like he had lost his mind. Dean sniffed again, to check once more that the young man in front of him was without a pack. A pup, almost definitely. Maybe he had not yet learned about wolf politics – and how dangerous it was to just strut into a claimed territory, especially up to the doorstep of the local Alpha. And there was no doubt the young man knew where he was right now – the heart of a pack was easy to find, even if it was not your own territory.

Dean, still disgruntled, was just about to ask curtly what the newcomer wanted when he felt Castiel follow him downstairs. He let out another warning growl at their guest, even though the boy had not moved an inch since Sam had opened the door. In fact, he seemed a bit daunted and at least was smart enough to keep his head bowed down at Dean’s glare. Still, the Alpha did not want Castiel near a potentially dangerous shifter and was about to bark at him to go to his room – an order he would possibly regret afterwards, when his omega would tell him off. But before he could make any stupid mistakes that would only set back their relationship again, Castiel’s voice surprised him.

“Jack?”

The young man looked up at Castiel, and there were so many emotions ghosting over his face, Dean could not name one of them.

“Castiel?”

Castiel let out a short laugh and was about to walk past Dean, towards the newcomer. But the Alpha held him back by stepping in his way.

“You know our visitor, Cas?”

“Yes, that’s Jack. He is…” Castiel took in a deep breath; then his eyes widened in surprise. He suddenly looked a lot happier than a second ago. Dean did not understand that – the Alpha was not happy at all. In, fact, he was still grumpy that this boy had interrupted their make-out session. But Castiel did not look at the young wolf as if he had done anything wrong; he was smiling as he announced to Dean: “He _was_ a member of Lucifer’s pack.”

And at those words, the stranger suddenly became a threat again, instead of just an inconvenience. Castiel must have noticed Dean’s newfound hostility, because he held up his hands and quickly added: “He’s a good boy, Dean. He’s always been kind to me, and he didn’t like Lucifer one bit more than I did. He’s no threat, I’m sure. Jack has been Changed just six months ago.”

The words were obviously meant to placate Dean, but he had mostly heard how that stranger was tied to Lucifer’s pack. He would not trust anyone aligned to Lucifer again. Well, other than his Mate, but that was another story.

“Then what are you doing here?” He barked at the boy. Jack had started to straighten and look hopeful, but at Dean’s harsh tone he cowered in on himself again.

“I… just… I didn’t want to stay with Lucifer and I…  I managed to break the bond. But I didn’t know what to do, or where to turn to. Castiel… he was my only friend in the pack, and when I overheard that the Father had sent him here, I just… I didn’t know where else to go. I tried living on my own at first, but…” He stopped and shivered.

Dean eyed the young man up and down again and realised why he had been quite so irritated at the first note of his scent. That boy was strong. He could not say yet how dominant he was – not every strong wolf automatically wanted to lead; there was Gadreel, for example, or Ketch – but Dean’s wolf had definitely acknowledged him as a threat. But that also meant it was more probable that he had broken the bond without any help from Lucifer. And it definitely meant that it was dangerous for him to be on his own. A strong alpha with no experience would most likely snap within weeks.

“Well, Castiel is part of my pack now, and I’m afraid I will not give him to you to start your own,” Dean growled.

Castiel laid a hand on his arm and Sam said “Dean” in that voice that always slightly irritated him. Mostly because it was Sam’s way of telling him he was being a jerk. He had even used that tone when Dean had first met Castiel.

“I didn’t… that’s not why I’m here.”

“Then why _are_ you here?”

Jack just looked at Dean with wide eyes.

“You were looking for a place to stay,” Castiel said. “A new pack.”

Jack nodded.

“Then keep looking. You won’t find a new home here.”

Dean was about to close the door into the boy’s face, hoping he would get the point and leave before he had to sent wolves after him, but both Sam and Castiel held him back. In retrospect, he should wonder what would have happened if neither or only one of those two had been present. He could not imagine anyone else to defy him so easily. And he felt oddly helpless against the two of them.

“Dean… why don’t we talk about it first,” Sam suggested.

Dean was about to give a sharp reply, but then he made the mistake of looking at the two men next to him. Castiel watched him with pleading eyes, and Sam had his puppy-look on his face.

He turned to Jack again with a knowing eye. His clothes looked like he had worn them for days without changing and he seemed to have nothing with him. He also seemed a bit pale, almost sickly. Wolves didn’t look sick without reason.

“Are you hungry?”

Hesitantly, Jack nodded. He looked almost ashamed. Dean opened the door wider instead of closing it. Whatever he thought about the boy, it was not advisable to have a hungry wolf roaming about. Dean tugged at the pack bond, and soon Ketch and Cesar, both of whom Dean knew were currently in the house, appeared behind him.

“Ketch, Cesar, this is Jack, our _guest_. Please lead him into the kitchen and prepare a meal for him. If he makes trouble or tries to leave, feel free to _persuade_ him to stay. I will have to talk to Sam and Castiel in the meantime.”

Jack’s eyes widened, but after Castiel gave him an encouraging nod, he followed Ketch into the kitchen. Dean did not stick around to watch them but walked into the nearest office. Castiel and Sam followed him. He pulled himself a glass of whiskey, preparing for the onslaught of both his brother and his Mate.

“Was that really necessary, Dean? He’s just a boy and he didn’t do anything that deserves being treated like an enemy.”

“You mean other than that he is one of Lucifer’s and came knocking at my door without notification? You know that a lot of Alphas would have killed him on sight. I believe I was quite reserved.”

“But I like to think we are more civilised around here. And he is not one of Lucifer’s. He’s unclaimed. Looking for a pack.”

“That’s what _he_ says.”

“I believe him,” Castiel said suddenly, interrupting the quarrelling brothers.

Dean raised an eyebrow at him, but Sam encouraged him with a “Tell us about him, Cas.”

“Well, like I said, he had been Changed a few months ago – he came to Lucifer’s pack shortly before I did. And he was the only person who was ever nice to me there. We kind of --- bonded. He is so young and I took him under my wings. Which I know sounds ridiculous since I am an omega and I was hardly seen as more than property.” Dean’s wolf winced as he heard Castiel talk about his past experiences so casually. “But Jack didn’t think so. He didn’t know how packs worked, because it was all so new to him. But it was not only that. He is gentle, and warm. Not at all like those other alphas were. Lucifer, however, he tried to turn him into _a real alpha_ , like he called it. Jack is strong, and Lucifer wanted him to stamp down on everyone who was beneath him.” This time it was Dean’s human side that winced. Something similar had happened to him when he came into Alastair’s pack after he had Changed. Alastair had been insistent that a _real alpha_ could take anything by force, and would punish them who denied him painfully. He sometimes still heard his voice in his head. Dean’s wolf however did not like to dwell on the past. They had ripped out Alastair’s throat before they left that pack behind, and that was satisfying enough. “But Jack, he never wanted that. And when Lucifer … when he gathered those alphas to punish me, to rape me, Jack had been among them. It probably should teach him a lesson as well as me.”

There was a loud crack, and Dean looked down at his hand where his glass had broken. He opened his fingers and let the last pieces fall to the floor. Castiel walked up closely to him and bared his throat. Only when Dean had calmed down a bit did he go on.

“But Jack had been as scared as I. He even tried to help me, before Chuck arrived. I promise you, Dean, he is a good boy. I can understand that you are suspicious, but he is nothing like those other alphas. He just needs a more appropriate role model than Lucifer had been.”

Dean resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow and ask Castiel whom he had in mind for that position. Instead he said: “And you believe he had just broken the bond and followed you here? Without any ulterior motives?”

“It might be true. Like I said, I had been the only one in the pack that had treated him gently – most others assumed that _kindness_ was not for alphas. He is an even younger wolf than I, and probably had no idea where to go. He has no family left since it had only been him and his mother, who died shortly before his Change. So, following me might have seemed like a good idea. He is powerful; most packs would take him gladly. And I believe he could be strong enough to break the bond.” Castiel touched Dean’s arm. “I once had tried living on my own, but even I did not enjoy it much. And as a strong alpha… I don’t think he could make it on his own, not when he is just so young. You always say Claire is too inexperienced to start her own pack. So he might have gone after the only other option that came to his mind.”

Dean closed his eyes. He thought back about the time Lucifer had attacked his pack, once before he had taken over, once afterwards. Lucifer always had a few tricks up his sleeve. He could see that Castiel trusted Jack, but Dean didn’t. He couldn’t. Lucifer had once managed to turn his own brother against him – a new wolf with no ties or family would be even easier to manipulate.

Castiel looked at Dean intently, then said: “Please, Dean, don’t send him away.” Dean did not know why, but he had the feeling that Castiel had wanted to say something else.

“And what if I do? You’ll leave as well and follow him?”

Castiel looked like he had slapped him, and even though it wasn’t right, Dean almost felt satisfied at the strong reaction. Especially after the omega proclaimed roughly: “Of course not, Dean.”

Sam suddenly chirped in, probably to defuse the situation: “I agree with Cas, Dean. From what he told us, Jack seems like a nice kid who had been Changed too young and was unfortunate to start in a bad pack. I can relate. And so I think can you. He has only been there for a few months. Even if Lucifer tried to brainwash him, he can be changed.”

“You seem to be suspiciously ready to trust him.”

“Because I’ve been there, Dean. Being claimed by Lucifer, being fed with lies and horrible ideas about packs. But you took me in. And look how that turned out.”

Dean growled. It was not like he couldn’t see Sam’s reasoning, but that didn’t mean he had to agree with him. Sam was family, had always been family. To his wolf as much as his human side. He could forgive him, and he trusted him. But that boy was a stranger. Two pairs of pleading eyes were directed at him, but Dean had to think about more people than those two. He had a whole pack to look out for. And his gut told him there was something wrong here.

Castiel wrung his hands. He opened his mouth a few times like a goldfish, until Dean said surprisingly gently: “Spit it out, Cas.”

“I should probably tell you… I once overheard… Lucifer seems to think that Jack is… his biological son.”

“What?” Dean and Sam exclaimed at the same time. Then Sam said: “Cas, that can’t be true. Werewolves can’t have children.”

“Yeah, Cas, we’re all shooting blanks.”

Castiel blushed at Dean’s phrasing. “I know. And I’m not saying Jack _is_ his son, just that Lucifer seems to believe it. He had a short affair with Jack’s mother, and the timing of his birth is right. Lucifer seemed to think it was true. And I always suspected that Jack’s Change was not completely coincidental. Lucifer said that he had been very sick before he Changed him – but I thought it might have as well been poison.”

Dean looked at Sam who seemed just as shocked as he. Lucifer was a very old wolf, one of the four Chuck had Changed himself, according to the lore. Maybe that meant he had a few powers the rest of them didn’t. Or it only meant he was getting too old and lost his mind like so many others had before him. Dean should certainly ask Gabriel, another of the First and the only one who wasn’t a complete dick, if he thought it was possible. He probably should even contact all the Alphas from the Council that met regularly – ask if they had had any trouble with Lucifer recently, or if they knew he planned something. Billy’s pack lived pretty close to him, and sometimes she knew things before anyone else did.

“But he had never told Jack as much, Dean. At least not while I had been there. And, you know, he can’t be his son. Lucifer probably just lost his mind there. And we should not judge anyone by which packs they came from. Otherwise, none of us would be trustworthy. Please, let him stay. Once he is settled in, you will know what I see in him. He is a good soul.” Then he tried another route of reasoning that might be more relevant to a pack alpha. “He is also strong, but I don’t think he wants to lead. That means he could be a great asset to your pack.”

Again, with the pleading eyes. Dean certainly did not want to have Lucifer’s son in his pack – even if it was only an imagined one – but maybe it was worth observing him for a while. If he kept him close, he could make sure he was not passing on any information. And maybe he would make a usable hostage one day. Or maybe Jack was telling the truth and his supposed father would want him back. He could be useful, his wolf thought. Or a danger to the whole pack, Dean added.

“I won’t claim him,” he finally said. Both Castiel and Sam opened their mouths to protest, but Dean held up a hand. “But he can stay, for now. He’ll have a bed, clothes and food. If he behaves … we’ll see. But I will not invite anyone I don’t trust into my pack.”

Dean thought Lucifer might have planned that – Dean accepting Jack as part of his pack. The boy was strong, and Lucifer might have ordered him to challenge Dean. It was always harder for an Alpha to fight a challenge from within, with someone who shared the same bond. Maybe Lucifer had thought Jack would kill him, being his son and all. Dean was sure enough he would win against any pup, no matter how strong, but who knew? Maybe he would have been at least weakened. And if Jack actually won, he was too young to be able to hold the pack anyway. And then Lucifer could sweep in and simply take the reins from him.

Sam and Castiel looked at each other for a moment. Dean’s brother let out a sigh of relief while Castiel hugged the Alpha.

“Thank you, Dean. You won’t regret it.”

“I sure hope so,” Dean mumbled.

With Sam and Castiel in tow, Dean walked to the kitchen where Jack just finished his food. Cesar sat next to him, chatting hospitably, while Ketch cleaned his nails with a knife and shot the newcomer occasional glances from narrowed eyes. Jack twitched every time.

Dean almost smiled to himself – the scene before him played out exactly like he had expected. Ketch was making sure that Jack behaved while Cesar tried to make him feel a little more like a guest and less like a prisoner.

 “Jack,” Dean barked, and the young man sprang from his chair when he was addressed.

“Yes? Alpha?”

“We came to the conclusion to let you stay here. At the house.” Jack looked between scared and relieved, that only turned into relieved and scared when Dean added: “Not as pack. But I will accept you as a lone wolf in my territory. That should give you some balance. If your wolf snaps, that’s your problem, so try and stay out of fights.” Dean walked towards Jack until he towered over him. “I will watch you closely, kid. One bad move, and I will rip your throat out.”

Jack gulped, and then nodded. He looked terrified. Dean’s wolf was satisfied, but Dean also felt guilty. He did not enjoy scaring a mere pup until he almost wet his pants. He abruptly turned around and saw both Castiel and Sam watch him with matching consternation. Then he looked back at Jack who was still trembling.

“Are you full?” Jack hardly dared to nod. “Good. Sam will find you some clean clothes and then show you to your room. Be down here for breakfast at seven sharp tomorrow. You come with me to the garage and earn your stay. Until then, you should get some sleep.”

Again, Jack nodded. Dean shot a glance at Cesar, and the omega nodded. He still stayed at the house and would keep an eye on Jack’s door overnight.

“One more thing… when did you arrive in this city?”

“Today, Alpha.”

Dean’s eyes narrowed, but Jack looked like he was telling the truth. Not that Dean would fully rely on his instincts in that matter. Jack also looked like a beaten pup who had tried to find the only person who had ever been nice to him – and the Alpha was still suspicious of that story. Especially since he had had an unsettling feeling for a few days now.

“You have not watched us? On the Full Moon?”

Jack shook his head, and Dean felt four pairs of eyes looking at him with different degrees of surprise. He ignored them.

With one last warning growl in Jack’s direction, Dean turned around and left the room. Castiel and Sam stayed behind, but as the Alpha slowly walked up the stairs, he was not surprised when the omega caught up with him before he reached the top floor. Castiel grabbed his arm and Dean turned around to look at him.

Castiel waited a long time, seemingly torn between a thousand things he wanted to say – or yell, maybe. But then he only mumbled: “Thank you, Dean.”

Castiel turned around and walked back to his room. Dean sighed. Just an hour ago, he had been sure they would sleep in the same bed tonight. He was tempted to follow the omega and promise him to do whatever he wanted with Jack if they only could pick up where they had left things an hour ago.

But he couldn’t.

As much as Dean wanted to please his Mate, he needed to look out for the whole pack first. To keep them all safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up: Will Jack’s arrival disrupt the relationship between Dean and Cas?


	9. Chapter 9

**NINE**

 

The next day, Castiel checked on Jack first thing in the morning. Dean had said he expected the young man at seven in the kitchen for breakfast, so Castiel walked down to his room at a quarter past six, convinced he would find him already awake and ready. He felt guilty that he had not come to check on Jack last night already, but Dean had made it clear that he expected _Sam_ to take care of Jack, and Castiel had already been grateful that the Alpha had agreed to take him in, despite his doubts. If only as a guest and not as a new pack member.

Castiel still did not know how he felt about last night’s events. On the one hand, he understood Dean’s reluctance, he truly did, given the Winchester’s history with Lucifer. And Castiel himself had to admit it might be something the cruel Alpha would do – sending in a spy, someone Castiel already knew and liked. But Lucifer could not have known that Dean would listen to Castiel in the first place, could he? It did not seem probable the Alpha would send someone the Winchesters would most likely decline, if they had not even just killed him on sight. Moreover, Castiel trusted Jack. He was a good boy, gentle and kind, and he wouldn’t have come here just to betray them, to betray Castiel. And no matter how much he could understand Dean, no matter how grateful he was Dean had not sent Jack away last night, a less reasonable part of Castiel was still hurt that the Alpha didn’t trust his judgement. Not to mention that Castiel thought Dean’s death threats and his whole growly attitude had been too much for the poor child who had not in any way challenged the Alpha. Jack must have been terrified – and he certainly believed now that Dean was no better than Lucifer. Probably even worse, considering that his old Alpha had frequently cursed the Winchesters as a horrible pack. It had made at least Castiel believe Dean would be ruthless. Before he came here.

Castiel gently knocked on Jack’s door and was not surprised when it was opened immediately by an already fully dressed young alpha.

“Castiel,” Jack breathed out in obvious relief.

Castiel did what he had wanted to do since last night, and hugged Jack tightly. When he walked into the room after long seconds, he noticed some movement in the corner of his eye. Cesar was lurking in the hallway and had probably observed Jack’s door throughout the whole night. The omega did not mention their guard as he closed the door behind him and Jack. No need to startle the boy even more. From the looks of it, he had not slept as well as Castiel would have liked.

“How are you Jack?”

“Good. Fine. With new clothes, a meal and after a warm shower and some sleep, I feel better than I have for the whole last week. You know, when I ran, I forgot to take some money with me. I didn’t even have a phone.” Castiel nodded, remembering he had struggled with a similar problem when he had run away after Zachariah’s death. “But it’s not only the food and the clothes. My wolf feels better as well. Mostly intimidated, I think, but at least he doesn’t try to break out for the moment.”

Castiel sat down on the bed. It was a small room that hardly left any other option to rest. “What happened, Jack?”

Jack sat down next to Castiel and looked at his hands for a moment. It was obvious that he didn’t want to answer, but Castiel waited patiently until he was ready. “After you left, everything got worse. I had no one to talk to anymore. Just Lucifer, who told me to beat down on anyone weaker than me. But I didn’t want to.” There suddenly was a sad smile on his face. “My mom would’ve never wanted me to do that.” Jack licked his lips nervously. “And then there was that girl. A human; Maggie. I met her one day when I ran an errand for Lucifer, and I thought… I might have liked her. I snug out a few times to meet her – until the Alpha caught me. He was not mad though. He said it was time I made some _experiences_. Then Lucifer… he told me to… he said I should… but I had never even… and she looked so scared.” Castiel squeezed Jack’s hand for a second, a reassuring gesture as he tried to make sense of Jack’s stammering. Maybe it did not even matter if he caught the whole meaning. “But I didn’t want to force her. It’s not right. No matter if you’re a werewolf or a human. You should protect the weaker, not dominate them. And then I got so angry. At Lucifer. And my wolf suddenly roared and --- he broke the bond. Just like that. I hardly recognised what had happened for a few moments. But then I ran as fast as I could.” He licked his lips again, closed his eyes and paused. He opened his mouth a few times before went on with his narration; this time his words came out in quick succession: “I didn’t know where to go. And my wolf, I could hardly control him anymore. I knew I needed a new pack. Azazel told me horrible stories about lone wolves who killed humans. But where should I turn? Then I thought of you. I remembered hearing that Lucifer had complained Chuck took you to the Winchesters and he even named this city. And I thought if they took me in as well, I might be able to help you… you know, so it could be like before. Better. Because this time I will stand up for you.”

There was so much shame on Jack’s face that Castiel’s heart broke a little for the boy, and he laid an arm around his shoulder. They sat there in quiet for a moment while Castiel allowed Jack to calm down, to take solace in his embrace.

“Yes, Jack. It’s going to be better than before. The Winchesters are a very different pack. Dean is a good Alpha.” Jack looked at Castiel in disbelief, and the omega had to supress a chuckle. “I understand you might have gotten a different impression last night, but he really cares for his pack. He just… he has a bad history with Lucifer. I know he can be harsh, and I don’t approve of how he treated you last night, but he takes the responsibility of leading his pack very seriously. And he tries to keep everyone safe, and far away from possible danger. And right now, sadly, he only sees you as one of Lucifer’s wolves. But I think, in time, you might be able to convince him you are nothing like our old Alpha.”

Jack looked at him with a dubious expression. Then he said slowly: “Sam said… he said I should be punctual, and I should work hard. That it might impress him.”

“It’s a good start, I guess. Dean definitely doesn’t like lazy people in his pack.” Castiel smiled softly. “And maybe you will learn something while you work with him. I think he might be a good role model for a newly Changed alpha, if you just ignore the growling a bit.”

Jack examined Castiel’s face for a moment, then he exclaimed, a little incredulous: “You really think he is a good Alpha!”

“Yes, Jack, I really do.” Castiel cleared his throat, almost a bit embarrassed as he added: “He is also my Mate.”

Jack’s eyes widened and Castiel could understand the disbelieving look on his face. The boy had only heard about Mates, but never actually met a mated couple before. “Your Mate? But how… You have no Mating Mark. And Sam said you live in an apartment on the second floor, right above mine. Surely, the Alpha would have moved you to his own quarters.”

“I wasn’t ready for that step yet. And so he waited.” Jack gaped, and Castiel finally let that chuckle escape. “Like I said, Jack, he is a good man. But still, try not to upset him today. He does have a temper. And he is already suspicious of you. You will have to earn his trust.”

“You think he might still kill me.”

Castiel tipped his head to the side and wished he could give a different answer. “If he believes you are a threat. So, please Jack, control your wolf.” Before Jack could ask another uncomfortable question, Castiel gave the watch a pointed look and said: “Let’s go down; better be a few minutes early than one late.”

When Dean stepped into the kitchen at exactly three minutes before seven, Jack had already finished his breakfast and cleaned his plate. The Alpha only gave a grunt in acknowledgement, but Castiel saw it as a good sign. At least he didn’t start the day with another death threat.

But he was disappointed that Dean had not greeted him with anything more than a polite nod.

 

>>><<< 

 

Jack had been with the Winchester pack for over two weeks now, and things were still awkward between Castiel and Dean. The omega could not really say what was the problem, not specifically. Dean was always friendly towards him, but he also acted reserved. He still talked to him – especially about Jack and his progress – but it always felt like talking to his Alpha about pack business. Never anything personal. It was like their heated kiss in the hallway had never happened. Dean hardly ever touched Castiel anymore, and the few times he had scent marked him, it had obviously happened without intention. Once, he had even pulled his hand back like it had burnt on Castiel’s skin. The Alpha seemed to be still angry at Castiel for standing up for Jack when the boy had arrived. There was no other explanation for his weird behaviour.

And even though Castiel was not exactly mad at Dean in return, the situation was still not easy for him. Jack seemed to be healthy and well, but he was far from happy. Most of the pack members treated him with courtesy, but they were clearly wary. Jody seemed to share Dean’s reluctance towards him, and Crowley had even suggested it was not too late to just kill him. Ketch, Cole and Rowena all looked at Jack like they were ready to hunt him down if he made only one tiny mistake. Castiel was glad that he, Sam and Dean had decided to tell no one about the possible relation between Lucifer and Jack – he did not want to know how the pack would have treated him then. And Castiel thought it was healthier for Jack not to know about Lucifer’s assumptions, at least for now – especially since Gabriel had seemed pretty convinced that Lucifer was having delusions. The only shifters who treated Jack decidedly friendly were, oddly enough, Kevin and Alex. But Claire was almost always present when Jack tried to talk to those two – and she watched him almost as closely as Dean. A few times, Castiel had tried to take a run with Jack on the forest grounds, but they never made it out alone – every time they tried, one shifter or another would magically appear and politely ask if they could join them. Castiel always agreed without any discussion – he was pretty sure they would just _insist_ if he refused. And he did not want Jack to feel more like an outsider than was absolutely necessary. Fortunately, the young alpha seemed to be oblivious at the other’s attempts to keep their eyes on him, or maybe he did not think it was unusual that wolves would only run in groups, especially when there was an omega involved. But Castiel could see right through Dean’s genius plan to never leave Castiel alone with the young alpha, at least not outside the house. Even though he tried to be understanding, Castiel got a little testy anytime someone trotted along with them.

And every time Jack told him about his day with Dean, Castiel clicked his tongue in contempt.

“You know, he is all _fetch this_ and _do that_. No _how are you, Jack_. No _well done_ ,” Jack yammered one night as they sat on the alpha’s narrow bed. This has been another increasing problem in Castiel’s relationship with Dean: Previous to Jack’s arrival, they had started to spend their evenings together; in the kitchen or they watched some movie with other pack members in the living room, and of course they also took little runs together. But now Castiel felt the need to check in on Jack every now and then – especially since no one else did. There were hardly other options than the evenings, because Jack worked in the garage all day and no one let them go out together. The last couple of nights, Castiel had even noticed that his Alpha had started to just disappear into his own room right after dinner.

Jack looked at Castiel and his sad face after he had grouched about Dean. Castiel had hoped that Dean would see the boy for what he was – a sweet and decent alpha. But he started to feel frustrated with his Mate. Castiel assumed he looked about as dispirited as he felt because Jack suddenly held his hands up.

“But it’s not all bad. I mean, I did learn a lot about cars, I think. Two weeks ago, I didn’t even know how to change a tire. But now I think I am a real help in the workshop. And the Alpha said I should just call him _Dean_. Can you believe that? There’s also… Dean gave me a few tips to control my wolf. Like when I get angry, I should rather just focus on something to _do_. Something that keeps my hands and my mind busy. Sometimes, he makes me change form and go on a run during the day. It seems like he always knows when my wolf gets restless, even before I do. And I always feel better after those runs. Yesterday, Dean even came with me – and my wolf… he is really calm around Dean. I didn’t think this would work without belonging to a pack, but staying close to Dean, it’s a lot easier than being on my own. I think… I think my wolf wants to belong to his pack.”

The last sentence was delivered in an absent-minded tone and Jack suddenly had a deep frown on his face. He had seemed deep in thought a lot during the last two weeks, but Castiel assumed that staying with the Winchesters was much to take in for the young alpha. He sometimes just stared ahead, like he was having a conversation with himself.

But Castiel was in a better mood after his last words. Maybe there was hope after all. If Jack’s wolf wanted to belong to Dean, then maybe the Alpha would soon feel the same way.

“Then I guess we just have to be patient.”

He hugged Jack and walked back down to the kitchen, hoping Dean would still be there. He missed his Alpha. It was not like they hadn’t talked those last two weeks, but their interactions had always been a bit distant. And every time Castiel had thought things would get back to normal, they got interrupted – which was not surprising in a house full of werewolves. Just yesterday, Dean had taken Castiel’s hands and his wolf had rumbled happily at the touch, but then Jack had walked in, and the Alpha had just let go of him. Quickly. Castiel really loved that boy, but in that moment, he had wished him far, far away.

He had no luck in the kitchen. There was only Cesar, who had one of those last-in-line plates with a strange mixture of leftovers in front of him. But eyeing the prominent mating mark on the man’s neck, maybe Cesar would even be the best person to talk to right now. Castiel liked the omega, even though they had never been alone with each other or talked much – but now that he thought about it, the only mated omega in the pack was probably someone he should have made a conscious effort to befriend before. Or just to ask a hundred questions.

Castiel sighed deeply and sat down next to Cesar.

“What’s up, Cas? Still trouble with Dean?”

Castiel scoffed. He was not surprised that Cesar, or any other pack member, had noticed things between him and Dean were a bit tense. He lived in a house where at least a dozen wolves came and went as they pleased. And ever since Castiel had arrived, he expected it had been gossip subject number one that the Alpha had found a Mate – who made it very hard on him by wanting to take it slow.

“I just… you know, when I heard about True Mates for the first time, I always thought that meant you would instantly fall in love and everything would be all butterflies and daisies. No arguments, no misunderstandings, just… you know.” He shrugged.

Cesar laughed, a warm and booming sound of real amusement. “That might be true for our wolves, Castiel, but unfortunately, we also have our human sides. Our wolves are simple minded. You find your Mate, and nothing else counts, right?”

Castiel nodded. His wolf had pawed at him to just go to Dean and mate basically since day one.

“But we humans… we tend to like to get to know someone before we make any lifelong commitments. Don’t get me wrong, I knew Jesse was the one for me from the get-go, but I still had no idea what kind of man he is. And we had to work through a lot of difficulties in the beginning.”

“Like what?” Castiel was anxious to hear about the other man’s troubles. Sometimes, knowing that other people had problems as well, made him feel less incompetent. Cesar smiled like he could understand Castiel’s eagerness.

“When Jesse and I first met, we lived in different packs. Our Alphas were not bad, you know, but neither of them wanted to let us go. Mine was a little bit more openminded towards omegas, however, and in the end, Jesse changed into my pack, bought himself out for more money than either of us possessed.” Castiel nodded – he knew that sometimes wolves who were not able to simply break the bond themselves would pay to be set free. Usually, it was a lot of money. “But when we were finally together, and mated, we didn’t only have financial problems – and those always hit hard, not matter how happy a relationship might be otherwise, let me tell you that – but my old Alpha was also getting jealous. You know, because I am an omega, and suddenly had a Mate. My Alpha was a good leader, but he still felt more possessive over his two omegas than anyone else. He did not expect anything from me, other than to keep close to him, and I think his sudden jealousy surprised him as much as me. But he knew he couldn’t do anything against it, so in the end, we bought ourselves free from him as well. And that left us without a pack, and a load of debt. Believe me, the following years were not easy. My Mate constantly worried that some rogue wolf would try to take me while we had no pack, and we had to take any job we could get to save every penny. We argued a lot in those years. It was all a little too much. And Jesse and I only had to worry about ourselves, not a whole pack on top.” He looked at Castiel’s worried face pointedly. “But we always loved each other, Castiel. Jesse is my light. And, eventually, we found this place. Sam and Dean took us in, and our future suddenly looked a lot brighter. Jesse had been nervous at first, but Dean does not mind that one of his omegas is mated. Quite the opposite I think, he is happy that someone will always look out for me first. And he even helped us out with some money so we could pay back our old Alphas.”  Cesar smiled, warm and a little ruefully. “But you know, we still argue; Jesse and I. We have different opinions, Mates or not. For example, you know how I recently got kicked out of the children’s hospital because that rich kid got scared?” Castiel nodded. “Jesse had always thought it was a bad idea for me to work there to begin with. He thinks werewolves should never be around kids. And for most wolves, I think that’s true. But I always felt most comfortable with children, my wolf loves them too, and Dean trusted me as well – because I am an omega and Mated. Honestly, you can’t get more balanced than that. But even though my Mate did not agree with me, in the end, Jesse let me make my own decision. And when I got kicked out, he was still sad for me. Because no matter whether he thought I was wrong or not, he still knew it was important to me.” He squeezed Castiel’s arm. “See, it’s not all easy in relationships, even with your Mate. But when you are willing to put some work into it, it’s the best thing that can happen to you.”

Castiel let out a long breath. Cesar chewed on a chicken leg while the other omega was lost in thought.

“How does it feel? The bond?” Castiel suddenly asked.

“Hm… For us, it’s pretty much like the link between Alpha and pack. I know Jesse’s alive and I can pick up some strong emotions or even call upon him to come to me if I need him; and so can he. But since you already have that with Dean, I don’t know whether it’s going to be any different for you. I guess it might just be stronger, on both sides.”

Castiel rubbed his hands over his face. He wanted to see Dean, now even more than half an hour ago. He wanted to be close to him, no matter if he was still mad or not. Maybe they should talk about whatever was standing between them. Not maybe, they definitely should. But Castiel still didn’t dare. Dean might not want to see him. He was obviously trying to avoid Castiel. While he was still thinking, Cesar chuckled lowly.

“You know what, Castiel? Sometimes, our wolves are right. Sometimes, it helps to just let the quarrel go, talk it out or not, and cuddle up together. The world always seems a little lighter afterwards.”

“You say I should go to Dean?” It was not so much a question as it was a statement.

Cesar nodded; then he laughed again. “But you don’t have to listen to me. I am biased. You know the whole pack worries about you two. We’d rather have a happy Alpha. He’s been curt with everyone those last days.” There was a gentle glint in his eyes. “But also for yourself, Castiel. You’re tense. Get yourself some rest with your Mate; tomorrow you have enough time to argue again.”

Castiel scoffed, but he stood from his chair. Before he was out, he paused and asked: “What about your new job at the retirement home?”

Cesar smiled. “It’s all good. As it turns out, old people are not so different from kids.”

 

>>><<< 

 

The first flight of stairs, Castiel had almost run. But the closer he got to Dean’s apartment, the more his pace slowed down. Maybe Dean had retired early because he didn’t want to see Castiel. Or maybe he had an appointment with another shifter. And hadn’t Jody told him on his very first day that Dean didn’t want to be bothered when he was in the privacy of his own home.

He was almost in front of the door, still undecided, when Castiel did something he had not done in over two weeks: He touched the string to his Alpha in his mind. A second later, the door was abruptly opened.

Whatever happened next, Castiel was glad he didn’t have to knock.

“Cas,” was all Dean said as he stared at the omega in surprise.

“Dean. I don’t mean to bother you…”

“You never bother me, Cas. Come on in.”

Castiel walked past the Alpha, deliberately brushing over his side. His wolf urged him for even the briefest touch.

“Look, Cas, I know you’re still pissed. But…”

Now it was Castiel’s turn to look at Dean in wonder. “I’m not, Dean. I mean… I don’t agree with all your decisions. But I can understand why you’re acting the way you do.”

“You’re not mad? Then why were you so distant the last few weeks? You hardly spent time with anyone but the kid.”

“I wasn’t… I thought you were. Mad at me for defending Jack.”

Dean hands twitched, then he suddenly pulled Castiel into his arms. “I’m not mad at you, Cas. I just… you know, sometimes I have to make tough decisions. You might not always like what I do.”

“No, I might not. But I might still try to make you see my point of view. And as for Jack: You have taken him in, even though not as pack like I wanted to, but still, he is healthy and well cared for. I am grateful for that.” He cleared his throat. “I just think you could be a little bit nicer to him. You know, don’t act so gruff. Maybe you could even form a friendly relationship with him.”

Suddenly, Dean’s face fell. “I… I can’t, Cas. I don’t trust him. I know this is not what you want to hear, but… it is what it is. And what if… what if he snaps and I have to kill him? I don’t ever want to do this to someone I care about ever again.”

Castiel understood. Of course, Dean did not want to become too attached in case he had to kill the young man. And since he did not dare to take him in as pack, yet, it was still very probable that Jack’s wolf would somehow just break through. Castiel suddenly felt deep sympathy for his Mate.

“You know, the last time I lost someone of my pack to their wolf was years ago. And Benny was not just pack, he was my best friend. A strong alpha, dominant. I always feared he would someday leave and start his own pack. But he told me he needed me to keep his wolf in check, that he would be too dangerous on his own. I never believed it. Then there was that train wreck. We helped the humans to get out as it started to catch fire. Sam was the last one in the wreck, but he was stuck, couldn’t come out. Benny ran in and saved him. But he was wounded; and with the overload of smells and fire and blood --- he just lost it.”

There were tears in Dean’s eyes. Castiel did not have to ask what happened next. When a wolf in his pack snapped, it was the Alpha’s responsibility to take care of it. And Castiel knew Dean would never shy away from that task, never shy away from keeping the pack safe, even if it broke his heart.

Castiel placed both his hands on either side of Dean’s face.

“Being an Alpha is a tough job, Dean. I get it. And I understand that you are wary of Jack. I’m not mad. I only ask of you that you don’t kill him unless he does something to deserve it. And to keep an open mind about him.”

And maybe, after some more time, Dean would even see that Jack was a good man – but Castiel did not say that out loud. It would probably put too much pressure on Dean right now.

“But let’s not talk about that anymore.” Castiel kissed Dean gently.  The Alpha blinked in surprise at the sudden change of atmosphere. “I did not actually come here to talk.” Castiel kissed him again.

“No?” Dean asked, and a new twinkle stole into his bright green eyes. “Then what could you possibly have come up here to do?”

The next time Castiel kissed Dean, it was not quite as gentle. As their tongues chased each other, Castiel felt Dean push into him and he walked backwards until he felt something hit his knees. He glanced down quickly, realising they had arrived at a big couch, and let himself fall down, gripping Dean’s shirt so the alpha landed on top of him.

Castiel’s wolf rumbled happily at the full body contact.

Castiel tugged at Dean’s clothes and the alpha chuckled: “Wow, that escalated quickly.” But he was generous enough to get rid of his shirt. Castiel had seen him with a naked chest before, but in that moment, he was quite sure he would never get bored at his Mate’s sight. Dean was almost painfully beautiful. 

They kissed and touched on the couch and slowly undressed each other completely. By the time Dean pulled off Castiel’s briefs, leaving him in only a pair of warm socks, Castiel was already fully aroused, and even a bit impatient. That feeling only intensified when Dean kneaded his ass and rubbed his own erection against Castiel’s hips. And that was the moment the omega, very suddenly, got nervous. He did not feel overly secure in sexual situations. He did not even need one hand to count his sex partners, both before and after his Change combined. And neither of them had been a werewolf, much less an Alpha. Were there different rules? Was Castiel supposed to present on all fours like it was so often portrayed in porn – which Castiel might or might not have watched occasionally.

Dean seemed to notice Castiel grew absent-minded as he pulled back a little and looked down at him.

“How do you want to do this, handsome?” His eyes narrowed, but they still shone warmly. “ _Do_ you want to do this?”

Castiel nodded, his eagerness returning at Dean’s question. “I want you in me. But I want to see your face.”

Instead of an answer, Dean kissed him again, and the next time Dean’s fingers were on his butt, Castiel felt they were slick with lube. When had Dean managed to do that? He had not time to follow that thought though, as Dean gently teased his rim until Castiel relaxed and pushed down on the strong fingers, urging Dean on to get them inside. A long time passed, Castiel lying on his back, sweaty, with Dean’s fingers teasing him until there were four inside his hole, and Castiel moaned loudly. Finally, Castiel gripped Dean’s hips and tried to settle himself on the Alpha’s hard cock. Dean chuckled, but the sound turned into a groan as the Alpha pushed in.

Dean’s movements were slow and deliberate. Castiel tried to meet every one of the Alpha’s thrusts, tried to get him to speed things up. But Dean did not seem to be in a hurry. He took his time, and Castiel feared he would fall apart, until finally, the Alpha’s movements sped up and he felt a hand stroking up and down his own cock until he finally came between their bodies. Dean followed only a minute afterwards.

The Alpha changed their position, so they lay on the sides, facing each other. Castiel was humming happily as Dean stroked through his hair and his nose was pressed to the crook of Dean’s neck.

“You know, I did believe we would at least make it to the bed for our first time. This is really a tight fit”

Castiel smiled at Dean’s words. He didn’t mind that they had to snuggle closely so that they would fit on the couch. Even though he had to admit he had imagined something more romantic as well when Dean would take him for the first time. When Dean would finally ---

Castiel’s hand shot to his neck, and he suddenly felt sick. His wolf whined. Dean immediately noticed it, probably a sharp tang in his previously calm and satisfied scent.

“What’s up, Cas? Did I hurt you?”

“No, no, you didn’t…”

“Then what, babe?”

“I just… I thought that when we finally…” Castiel motioned a hand between their naked bodies and paused embarrassed.

“Do the dirty?” Dean winked. “Get our happy ending?”

It was not what Castiel would have said, but he nodded anyway. “I thought you would mate me. But you didn’t.”

Dean looked at him in surprise. “Well, this all happened without warning, babe. I mean, you just came to my door and… not that that’s a bad thing! Quite the opposite. But it’s not like we talked about it before. And by the way, I could say the same. You haven’t marked me either.”

Castiel’s eyes turned wide. He had dreamed about putting a Mating Mark on Dean’s neck, but he had not been sure he was supposed to. Castiel did not know many mated pairs, and only two mated alphas. Jesse had a mark on his neck, yes, but Bartholomew in Zachariah’s pack didn’t have one. Castiel thought that maybe it would be improper on a pack leader, like Dean.

“Can I?” He blurted out.

“Of course. That’s what Mates are supposed to do, right? With a one-sided mark, you only get a one-sided bond.”

“What will it be like?” Castiel asked for the second time that night.

“I don’t know, Cas. You know, I haven’t had a Mate before, either. I heard it’s supposed to be like a bond between an Alpha and a pack member, but we already have that. You might probably be able to feel me stronger, like I do with all my pack. You know, you might feel when I’m scared or angry, or wounded.”

Castiel frowned. “I thought I already did. I know when my pack alpha gets injured. I knew when Zachariah died.”

“Well, yes and no. I can feel my pack better than the other way around. More nuanced.” Dean stroked a rough hand over Castiel’s stomach, then the inside of his thighs. “For example, when I really concentrate on someone,” Dean nibbled at Castiel’s throat, “I could possibly tell if they are aroused…”

“What?” Castiel’s eyes widened in horror. He had not known that an Alpha knew much more than if his pack was healthy. And he did not want to think about certain times in the shower or at night in bed…

“Relax, Cas,” Dean chuckled. “I usually stay out of people’s private business. Would blow my mind if I didn’t. And when I concentrate on someone, I hear they notice my presence as well. So, there is no sneaking up on anyone, really. But, you know, with a Mate…” His smile turned wolfish. “I might take some liberties.”

“And you think I will feel you as well? Like that?”

Dean shrugged. “Probably.”

Castiel’s wolf, very suddenly, lost all patience. He straddled Dean’s hips.

“Then let’s mate. Now.”

They kissed, heatedly. Dean did not seem to have any objections against Castiel’s plan.

But then Dean suddenly pulled back, and the Alpha growled. It was not a sexy growl. Castiel looked at him with wide eyes. Had he done something wrong? It did not feel wrong, not at all.

A hesitant knock at the door followed, but Dean was already off the couch. He opened the door, not caring about his state of undress.

Ketch was there, looking uncomfortably to the ground. Castiel remembered that no one was supposed to come up here unless it was an emergency. Suddenly, he was very nervous.

“I apologise, Alpha,” Ketch said in a solemn voice. “But there is a fire. At the children’s hospital. Cesar is already on his way, with Cole and Sam.”

Dean had one foot in his jeans before Ketch had finished his announcement. He looked back at Castiel: “Stay here, Cas. We can talk later.”

But Castiel was already on his feet as well. “No, Dean. I’m coming with you.” Dean opened his mouth, obviously about to protest, but Castiel added firmly: “I won’t run into any burning buildings unless you tell me to, but I can help. I can calm the wolves.”

To the omega’s surprise, Dean did not argue but sprinted down the chairs, Ketch and Castiel on his tail. On the first floor, they ran past Jack.

“What’s going on?”

“Fire at a hospital,” Ketch barked out. “The humans need our help.”

“I’ll go with you.”

Dean stopped and turned to Jack. He almost snarled as he told the young alpha: “No. You wait here. You don’t even leave the house until we come back.”

“But…”

Dean just stared Jack down until he nodded.

When the Castiel, Ketch and Dean arrived at the porch, the three men changed into wolf form and ran straight to the hospital.

It did not take long until his nose picked up the scent of smoke, and Castiel had an ugly feeling in his stomach. The story about the burning train and Benny, Dean’s best friend, unable to control his wolf, was still fresh in his mind.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Some drama. Maybe. Probably. Heck, what do I know?!


	10. Chapter 10

**TEN**

 

_Damn. Just when things had started to work out again_ , Dean thought grimly as he ran towards the hospital, followed by a wolf in grey coat and one with beautiful white fur. Even if he didn’t know the way, his nose quickly picked up the scent of smoke and it was easy enough to follow its trail. But Dean’s mind was still not completely focused on the task ahead. Ketch followed him in a safe distance as if he was not sure if Dean would just snap at him, while Castiel eyed him curiously. Dean was decidedly not in a good mood. He had just cleared the air with Castiel when they had been interrupted. Again. At least they seemed to be on the same page now. But they had almost mated! If someone had asked him this morning, Dean would have said he doubted they would even mate within the year. He had been convinced that Castiel was still mad at him for treating Jack the way he did. And Dean had been too stubborn – no, too worried – to change his behaviour. In his opinion, Jack was a ticking time bomb, one way or the other. He did not know how to control his wolf yet, that much had been clear to Dean within a few days. The kid did not even seem to notice when his wolf started to get restless, started to look out from his eyes even when Jack was in human form. And that worried Dean. Jack could just snap from one moment to the other. He had cursed Lucifer´s name constantly over the last weeks. Not matter if he had brought Jack here to cause trouble or not, he had done a horrible job as Alpha. It should have been him who taught Jack how to be a werewolf – especially someone so strong needed a lot of guidance in the beginning. Which was just something else that worried Dean: Even though he was unskilled, Jack’s wolf was doubtlessly powerful. But Dean also came to realise that he seemed not that dominant – the few times they had been out together in wolf form, Jack had always bared his neck a little, almost invitingly. It might have been a scheme to win Dean’s trust, but somehow, he believed Jack had not even fully realised his own actions. Or he simply did not know how dangerous that behaviour could be – especially towards an alpha that was not your pack leader. Dean knew quite a few Alphas who would have bitten him without hesitation, and not too gently – but oddly enough, _Dean_ ’s wolf was almost tempted to claim Jack. But maybe that was only because he wanted to please his Mate. They still did not trust Jack, Dean and his wolf. How could they? To Dean, the young alpha seemed almost a bit gullible and obviously clueless that a beast lived inside of him – _and_ he had been with Lucifer since his Change.

Dean could admit that he might also have been a little bit jealous during the last few weeks. He had not expected that Castiel would be so attentive towards Jack, but he had been too pig-headed to even talk to his Mate about it. But finally, they had made up and talked – and other stuff – just to be interrupted by a new emergency. Maybe they were cursed, and things would keep getting in the way.

That seemed even more probable since Dean was currently even leading his Mate towards danger. He was clearly tempting fate – he should have left Castiel in the pack quarter with a guard instead. His wolf growled at him for that thought. He was glad that Castiel was with them. He was strong and smart, and bringing another omega would help everyone.

When they arrived at the fire scene, Dean saw that there was one small side building burning wildly, the main part of the hospital seemed intact. He shifted into his human form and exchanged a few words with Jody and Annie Hawkins, leading firefighter and another pack member. The fire department had been able to contain the blaze from spreading to the rest of the hospital, and everyone on the lower floors of the burning building were already outside and safe. But there were still some children in the top floor that was hardly reachable from the outside and too dangerous from the inside. At least for humans.

Dean looked around and wasn’t surprised to see that there was already a dozen wolves gathered around him. There were Sam and Gadreel, Ketch and Cole, all strong and used to dangerous situations. Garth and Charlie, both a bit clumsier, but still people Dean would always want at his side. Claire was standing with a raised chin but avoiding his gaze – he did not know how he felt about taking her inside, but he had a feeling that she would never forgive him if he left her out of the mission completely. And more importantly, it was time for her to make some experiences outside the safe pack environment. Maybe that would help her to be more cautious in the future. Dean just hoped she did not snap before she could learn anything, and for his peace of mind, he would have her wait on the ground floor with Garth and Charlie to help the others come outside. To Dean’s surprise, even Rowena seemed to be impatient to run into the burning building – usually, she tried to avoid dangerous situations if her presence had not been requested directly. Lily Sunder just waited patiently – and Dean was glad she was there. She did not look like it, but she was very resourceful, always calm, almost cold. She would always choose being useful over likable. And of course, there were Jesse and Cesar, who looked more rattled than Dean had ever seen him before. Dean had almost forgotten that, until recently, Cesar had worked here – and he probably cared for the children more than anyone else in their group. After his short assessment, Dean barked out orders, according to Annie’s previous advice about a most promising course of action, and then together, they ran into the burning house, some in wolf form, others as humans. Speed was more important than a good plan – the fire seemed to be strongest on the middle floors, and it was only a matter of minutes, probably even less, until the building would collapse.

Dean had ordered Castiel to wait outside. Not only because he wanted to keep him safe; but since one look at Cesar had told him that _he_ would insist to come with them, Dean figured it might be a good idea to have an omega waiting outside, as a calming influence if someone got hurt, or worse. That way, Jody could stay put as a liaison between the pack and the police and she could work closely with Donna and Annie, who officially orchestrated the whole operation.

When Dean led his wolves inside and up the brittle stairs, he could see why the humans had such difficulties to come after the kids. The fire was not even as bad as the smoke – and the stairs seemed to be ready to crush down. Most of his shifters ran in wolf form – which was a lot easier and faster. They almost flew upstairs, in a way that would have been impossible for humans. When they arrived at the middle floor, where the fire was burning hottest, Dean started worrying about the children; if they would still be alive, even if they managed to find them – but his wolf told him to stop being useless. It wouldn’t help if he thought about their possible failure at this moment. His wolf also got dangerously animated by the excitement. To him, it felt like a hunt. A dangerous hunt – and thus, so much more interesting than their uneventful Full Moon Runs. But he was also focussed, almost cold in his determination, and that probably helped more than Dean’s doubts.

Finally, they reached the top floor, smoke hurting their eyes, but they managed to find their way. There were only three large bedrooms, and the remaining children and nurses were huddled together in one of them. At least one kid seemed to be unconscious, others were crying, and some just stared at them in fear. Dean couldn’t blame them – out of the already terrifying smoke emerged some no less terrifying looking, massive wolves. It sounded like something out of a corny horror movie. _Werewolves in a Hospital_ – it sounded no less ludicrous than _Snakes on a Plane_.

All but Ketch changed into human form immediately – they would not be much help as wolves, even though they themselves would be safer. The stairs had been brittle already and it would be tough to run back down with children in their arms. Dean did not even have to say a word; his shifters quickly had everyone in their arms or on their backs and ran down the stairs again as fast as possible, urgent to get out as long as the way was still halfway clear. Dean was the only one remaining at the top floor, searching for anyone they might have missed. Sam hesitated at the stairs, a nurse in his arms and a child on his back.

“Get out, Sammy! Make sure they’re all safe. I’ll be right behind you.”

Sam looked like he wanted to say something, but then he ran down the stairs after one meaningful glance at his brother. Dean knew that look; it usually meant something between _be safe_ and _don’t do anything stupid._ The Alpha made a few steps towards the last room, where the fire seemed to be hotter than anywhere else. He could feel sweat sticking to his own body, and the smoke was slowly becoming too much for his lungs, even with the piece of cloth around his face, and he had to blink rapidly in an attempt to keep his eyes open. It would not take long until the whole floor would crash down.

And then he saw him.

A small boy, unconscious, was lying on the floor behind the last bed in the row. The fire in the room was so vast, it was nearly impossible to make it through, but Dean knew he would try, nonetheless. His wolf might think it a better idea to retrieve – he did not want to leave the child behind, but he was not pack, not important enough to risk his life – but Dean couldn’t just turn around. He took a deep breath, but only got more smoke into his lungs. He coughed and felt his throat burn. A werewolf might be able to hold on longer than a human, but Dean could feel that the smoke and the heat weakened him. He had to hurry.

He treaded lightly as he walked through the flames, still fighting his wolf who believed this was useless. A second later, Dean briefly thought his wolf had probably been right, as a burning board fell down from the ceiling, and directly towards Dean. In that nanosecond, he could almost feel the burning wood, hitting him, maybe even so hard he would end up unconscious. But before it could fall on him, a body had rammed into his side and pushed him out of harm’s way, faster than Dean had been able to react himself.

Dean looked up and stared disbelievingly at Jack, who was in wolf form. They boy just looked equally shocked as he stared at the burning wood that had landed right next to Dean on the floor.

“I told you to stay at home,” Dean barked out instead of a _thank you_. “Get out!”

But Jack only looked at the boy who still lay on the floor.

“I’ll get him. You, leave!”

But Jack did not move, he only stared ahead, his gaze oddly clouded. Dean sighed. He would have to take care of Jack later – in other words: yell at him profoundly – but for now, he had to get the kid. Dean basically crawled forwards until he reached the small figure. He picked the light body up and tumbled forwards, back out of the room.

When he was about to fight for the stairs, Dean heard another loud crack, followed by a whine. A cabinet had fallen over, and onto Jack’s body, pinning him down. The wolf tried to move, but it was obvious that he was unable to get free, at least not in time. The smoke might finish him before the fire would. Werewolves were a lot more resilient than humans, but they were not immortal. Age might not hurt them, but still, they died.

Jack looked up at him with pleading eyes, and Dean thought he almost wanted to tell him to get out and leave him behind.

And Dean should.

He had told the boy to stay at home. Not to mention that he was a danger to his pack in the first place. Maybe even Lucifer’s son who would be their doom, one way or another. He could just leave him here, problem solved, and it would not even be his fault. Neither Sam nor Castiel could blame him – they both knew he had told Jack to stay at home. And right now, with Dean, Jack and the innocent child in mortal danger, he was really pissed at the new wolf for not following his orders. The fact that Jack had just helped him seemed inconsequential at the moment.

But despite his dark thoughts, Dean let the body in his arms sink to the floor and walked back towards Jack. He needed both hands to push the cabin up and away from the caged wolf. The steel was hot and burnt the flesh on his hands. Dean roared out in pain and anger, but it gave him another push to lift the heavy thing until Jack could crawl out. Dean could hardly see the bleeding wound at his hindleg, but the wolf limped heavily. He just hoped he could still make it out; Dean could only carry the child, not a panicking wolf on top of that. He picked up the unconscious kid again, walked towards the staircase and down two floors, feeling Jack closely behind him. Just when Dean was about to feel optimistic, they walked into a wall of fire, too dense to get through. Dean snarled out involuntarily. He turned around to the hallway, searching for another way out; and finally reached the closest window.

He looked down at Jack who had been whining at his side.

“I’m gonna break the glass. You have to jump down. We are not that high anymore. It might hurt, but we should survive. But we have to do it fast. With the sudden pull of oxygen, there might be an explosion.”

Meekly, Jack nodded.

Dean took a few steps back, then he pushed his side into the window with inhuman strength and at the same time, he let himself fall out and to the ground, the little boy still cradled safely in his arms.

He heard a loud crack as he landed on damp grass and was pretty sure it was a broken bone in his right leg. He could add that to the burnt hands, the wound on his shoulder and the cuts on his face. But he was alive, and the boy in his arms still breathed.

His wolf howled out at the excitement and the victory, and then things got a bit blurry for a moment. He heard someone snarl and realised only seconds later that the sound had come out of his own throat.

Paramedics had rushed over and tried to take the boy from him, but Dean only growled at them.

The boy was his; they could hunt their own prey.

He pressed the tiny body tighter to his chest and bared his teeth at the two people in front of him. He was still in human form, but his canines had grown, and Dean wanted to change his form completely. If not for that voice in his head, screaming at him, to stay as he was. _Dangerous_ , that voice told him.

“Dean, calm down, you did it. Everyone’s safe. Give me the boy, Dean.”

Dean looked up and recognised his brother. Why was Sam pleading with him? He was big and capable; he didn’t need Dean to hunt for him. But no, that wasn’t right. They weren’t here to hunt, they were here to help. Dean looked down at the child in his arms and almost vomited at the thoughts that had been swirling around in his mind for a moment. He loosened the grip on the boy. The disorientated feeling vanished, and Dean could think straight again. Damn, it had been a long while since his wolf had been so close to overpowering his human side. If only for a moment.

“Dean,” came another voice. Castiel.

Dean looked up again, and Castiel was standing in front of him, suddenly closer than the others. He looked scared, and Dean never wanted to see that look on his face. To show that he was in control again, he held the child up, glad when someone took the boy from him, and then he grabbed Castiel’s outstretched hand, not caring about the sudden pain in his own. Dean searched through the pack bond, glad that everyone was alive, if not all well. Cesar seemed to be in pain. And Ketch struggled with his wolf, but hardly more than usual, and he had Charlie at his side. Those two had a strange friendship and she should be able to calm him down. Jody was with Claire – the girl was fighting with her wolf as well. Dean tugged at her string and she seemed to overpower her wolf immediately. Dean was glad she was safe, and the whole operation had probably been a useful lesson for her.

Since there was nothing too bad going on right now, Dean allowed himself to relax.

Castiel looked relieved; he almost smiled. Dean responded with a crooked grin.

“Hey, Cas. You all right?”

Castiel chuckled, a sound of pure disbelief. “Am _I_ all right? Dean, have you looked at yourself? I’m not the one with all those cuts and bruises. And from the look of it, your leg is broken.”

Dean scoffed, and smiled through the pain. “Ah, nothing that can’t be healed in a day or two. Perks of being a werewolf.”

Dean tried to pull Castiel closer towards him, but a growling sound behind them stopped him in his tracks. Dean was confused at the sound. A second ago, his wolves had seemed balanced if a little rattled. Definitely not so much as to growl at their Alpha.

Both Dean and Castiel turned around and stared at the other wolf that had jumped out of the window with Dean.

“Jack?” Castiel asked with furrowed brows. Maybe he had not noticed him in the chaos before. Dean liked to think he had been a little preoccupied with worrying about his Mate – it was a childish emotion, being happy he had been more important to Castiel for a moment. And his delight did not last long, as he looked closely at Jack. Or rather, at the beast inside of him.

Castiel stood and walked slowly to the growling wolf, but Dean held him back.

The grey wolf did not stop growling as he raised awkwardly; he was covered in cuts and both his hindlegs seemed to bleed heavily.

Castiel struggled against Dean’s grip, hurting his bruised hands even more. “Dean, he is in pain.”

“Look at him, Cas,” Dean said in a calm voice. He himself didn’t look at the boy anymore but kept his gaze on Castiel, whose eyes slowly widened in shock.

There were other wolves gathering around them, all knowing what was about to happen. Jack was about to lose control of his wolf. The pup whined and growled alternately, trying to get a grip on himself. Dean almost regretted for a second that he had not claimed him. As his Alpha, he might have been able to help him.

But the way it was, there was only one thing he could do.

Dean let go of Castiel and stood up as well. In the blink of an eye, he turned into a big brown wolf.

“Dean, please, no. He’s still in there.”

That much was true. And Dean would wait. Wait until Jack fully snapped. But he had no doubt it would take less than a minute. He wished there was something else he could do. But there were still fire trucks around them, a siren was wailing, smoke everywhere, too many people – he could not get Jack to a quiet place in time; and he could not allow him to run away. Especially not since the pain of moving would almost certainly push him over the edge.

And then Castiel changed into his wolf form as well. He was quick, and Dean was still slow from his wounds and a bit heavy minded from the burden of what he had to do.

But thank heavens, when Castiel trotted towards him and even nuzzled at his side, almost playfully, Jack only growled. It was a strange sound, more poutful than threatening. But he was far away from safe. Dean understood that Castiel thought he could tease his friend to come out again, but Dean didn’t agree with him. He had seen this countless times before, and with wolves who were weaker and older than this one. But his Mate still tried to rub his head over Jack’s and licked over his left ear affectionately. When Jack suddenly snapped his teeth at Castiel, Dean’s patience ran out. He had let him try, but Dean would not give the boy the opportunity to kill his Mate.

With a loud snarl of his own, Dean prowled towards Jack, slowly, because he feared a fast movement might pressure him to do something stupid – and he did not want that with his Mate so close. He was just glad when the young wolf focused his attention away from Castiel and back on Dean. Jack obviously readied himself for an attack. He crouched down with his tail between his legs, still growling aggressively and just a second away from jumping forward. But it was Castiel who moved first. The white wolf rolled over, exposing his belly and his throat to Dean, whining softly. Dean froze. Did Castiel plead with him to spare the kid? But he surely must know he could not let an uncontrolled wolf walk around freely. Dean felt despair at the thought that he would have to disappoint his Mate – but he was also slightly irritated that Castiel would even try to convince him to spare a rogue wolf.

But then Castiel looked at Jack, and Dean realised the action was not directed at the Alpha at all. Castiel was trying to show Jack a way out. Was trying to reach his reasonable, his human side. Dean thought the only thing Castiel did there was putting himself in unnecessary danger, and his mind already formed a tirade he would get to hear later.

But then, some miracle happened.

Jack stopped his aggressive posture from one moment to the next, and with a heart-melting whine, he rolled over and bared his belly and throat to Dean in submission. There were gasps all around; every shifter amazed by the sudden change.

And Dean did the only thing he was capable of in that moment: He rushed forwards and sank his teeth into Jack’s neck.

But instead of a killing strike, Dean claimed the young man as a new member of his pack.

 

>>><<< 

 

An hour later, Dean arrived back at his home; most of the wounded wolves were there already. A doctor had straightened his own leg and cared for his other wounds temporarily, even though Dean knew he would be as good as new within a day or two. The woman had seemed relieved when she let him go – he might have been a bit growly. As were all the other wolves who had needed medical attention. Neither of them wanted to let a stranger know about their weaknesses. But Alex, the pack doctor, was in her own hospital where a lot of the inhabitants of the currently burning one had been moved to. So they all had to deal with the present doctor. When Dean arrived at home, the pack quarter was already buzzing with shifters. Tonight, his house would be full. He had left a couple of pack behind, mostly those who had not run into the burning building. The fire might be extinguished by now, but there was still a lot to do. Luckily, no one had died tonight, no humans, and no wolves. Most part of the hospital could even be saved, and patients had been moved safely to alternative hospitals. Luckily, the children who needed the most urgent medical care had not been close to the fire. Everything that was left to do was well in the hands of Jody and Annie. Crowley was possibly already talking to the press to get a wonderful headline for tomorrow about the courageous, selfless wolves who had saved nearly a dozen children from certain death.

Dean scoffed. Unlike Crowley, he didn’t feel the need to constantly stroke his ego. At least not so much. But the publicity was probably a good thing – one more proof that these werewolves were the nice guys.

Dean was still surprised how satisfied he felt. Years ago, when Sam had started the whole we-are-the-good-wolves campaign, Dean had only agreed hesitantly, and mostly to keep the humans off his back. He would not like to look over his shoulder all the time, and he had cared more about his pack than them. But by now, he was pretty sure he would have run into that building, no matter what reporters would write about it later.

He had only made it to the hall when Annie called him. At this point, the fire department were convinced that the fire had been an accident, not arson. Dean was glad – he did not even want to think about the possibility that someone, anyone, would attack a hospital full of kids and teenagers.

After he had hung up, Dean paused in the hall for a moment, blissfully alone. He groaned. His leg hurt, as did his hands, and the smell of burnt flesh and hair was strong in his nose; the stink was probably coming from himself. He wanted nothing more than to take a cold shower and sleep for twelve hours straight. But he needed to check on every wolf in his house first.

Cesar was badly injured, but nothing that wouldn’t heal within a week. With Jesse at his side, maybe even sooner. Some of the kids had recognised the omega – and they all had wanted him to help them out, probably the only person that had not creeped them out completely. Ketch was calm again, but obviously still in pain. Garth and Sam had accompanied him to a guestroom in the house, both of them with their own scratches and burn marks that wouldn’t even be noticeable by the morning. Even though Garth had hardly been inside the house, he still had a bruise on his face – and Dean was not sure how he had managed to get injured. Maybe he had helped one of the shifters as they had run out. He might have even tried to take one of the children too soon – and Cole had hit him. Dean could see something like that happening, especially since he had been far from chill himself after his wolf had managed to take out his trophy. Kevin and Charlie were with Claire, while Jody had to stay at the scene.

They all had retired to different guestrooms, but Dean was sure that the living room would also be crowded tonight, and probably the next few days as well. Even some wolves who had not been at the hospital had come here over the last hour – the bond was a little unbalanced with all the excited wolves and the closeness helped everyone. Pamela and Castiel had helped Jack to his room while Dean was talking to his wolves one by one. Dean had agreed that his omega should stay with Jack for a while – he was a new pack member and badly hurt; it would probably help him to have a friendly face around. Dean was still amazed how the boy had managed to control himself, and more than a little impressed.

When he was finally satisfied that his pack was safe and mostly healthy, Dean knocked softly at the door to Jack’s room, and Castiel replied in a hushed voice. When the Alpha walked in, he saw that Jack was already fast asleep, albeit twitching and turning. His body had to deal with his wounds as well as getting accommodated to the new bond. It would take a lot of energy – it would probably be best if he didn’t do much more than eat and sleep for the next couple of days.

Castiel stood form the chair next to the bed, as Dean stepped closer and rested a hand on the sleeping kid’s shoulder. Jack calmed down immediately. Dean liked those moments – when he felt useful, when he could help his wolves with the simplest of gestures. His. Dean huffed out a short laugh. Just a few hours ago, he had been averse to the mere idea of claiming Jack. But he did not regret it. It felt right – and truly, the only other option would have been to kill him. Dean was glad he hadn’t needed to do that.

“He’s strong; he will be all right,” Dean whispered to Castiel. Then: “Thank you. For not allowing me to kill him.”

“And here I thought you prepared to literarily chew his head off from day one,” Castiel had tried at a humorous tone, but he only sounded sad.

“True. But just because I am ready to do anything for my pack, doesn’t mean I would always enjoy doing it.”

Castiel took his hand and walked towards the door, pulling Dean with him.

“Come on, Alpha. Let’s get you to bed. We both need to rest.” He sniffed, and then crinkled his nose. “Maybe a shower first. You stink.”

Dean was more confused than insulted. “Don’t you want to stay with him?”

“He’s asleep. And safe in a house full of pack members. He’ll probably be out for a while. And if something bad happens, you will know.” He then turned fully towards Dean. “Besides, I want to lie next to you tonight.”

Dean couldn’t argue with that.

He had not planned it, especially since they were both tired and exhausted and his whole body still ached, his leg was broken and his face swollen; but in the end, both men undressed and touched each other gently under the spray of warm water. They both took comfort from their gentle touches. After the excitement, they were almost desperate to feel each other.

When they got to Dean’s bedroom, the Alpha tried to take the lead, his hands and his leg be damned. But Castiel pushed him down gently so that Dean laid naked on his back.

“You looked after your whole pack tonight, Dean. Let me take care of you for a change.”

And then Castiel covered his whole body in soft kisses and loving touches. Dean almost had to fight tears at the tenderness of his Mate – he had been with countless partners before, a lot of them had been arguably more skilled than Castiel, but he had never been touched with such reverence and affection. Even though he was not used to allowing others to take care of him, he even usually saw it as an admission of weakness, he thought he could get used to Castiel looking after him from time to time.

Castiel finally took him in, moving slowly up and down his cock, careful not to upset his leg; until they both moaned out their climax. However, Dean had not been prepared when Castiel suddenly, without warning, bit into his neck, claiming him as a Mate. On instinct, Dean’s wolf replied in kind.

Castiel lied down next to him a few minutes later: “There. I will not ever have you risk your life again without wearing my Mark.” The words sounded oddly grumpy, considering they had just made a lifelong commitment. Still, Dean chuckled.

Then they both fell asleep, next to each other for the first time. Finally mated.

It had been one exciting day.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awww, look, everyone is so happy. :-D


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, lovelies! I’m sorry this update took me so long, but things kept me busy (work, a nasty cold, renovations, birthdays etc.) But I hope you can enjoy some more fluff in this chapter! :-)

**ELEVEN**

 

Before Castiel even woke up, he could feel his inner wolf rumble happily. And it wasn’t hard to guess what had him in such a good mood. Finally, after weeks of dancing around each other, Castiel lay next to his Mate, and he had to admit that it felt wonderful. Despite the events of last night, he had slept deeper and more peaceful than he could ever remember. He had certainly not felt so at ease and content since he shared his body and mind with a wolf. Probably never before, either. Castiel let the events of last nights play through his mind again, and a wide smile spread on his face. He was a bit proud of himself for claiming his alpha, even though it had mostly been his wolf’s work, who had gotten increasingly tired of his hesitation. And thankfully, Dean’s beast had seemed to agree. Castiel, eyes still closed, searched for their new bond; it strangely seemed to be the same as it had been yesterday, and yet completely different at the same time. Stronger.

Dean lay motionless behind him, one arm and leg thrown over Castiel’s side and he was so quiet that the omega believed he was still fast asleep. But when he tried to get a look at the watch – moving only his head because he did not want to disturb Dean or change anything about their current position – Dean mumbled into his ear: “It’s already after ten. But I think we deserved to sleep in a bit, don’t you?”

Castiel chuckled. He should have known that Dean was already awake but was just as unwilling to separate as he was. His chuckle turned into a laugh when Dean’s stomach gave out a loud growl.

“But now we probably deserve a big breakfast?” Castiel asked teasingly.

“Hmph,” was all Dean answered as his arms tightened around Castiel until he was melting into the Alpha’s body. “Don’t wanna get up.”

Castiel turned around so he was facing Dean. The alpha had an adorable pout on his face. Castiel could not resist and kissed those beautiful lips. He had planned to keep it short, but in the end, they spent another fifteen minutes touching each other, kissing and stroking over soft skin. Happiness bubbled up in Castiel like champagne. And when he reached out hesitantly in his mind, he found a similar feeling coming from Dean. So, yes, their bond had changed after the Mating – Castiel could feel Dean differently, more clearly, nuanced, at least when he concentrated. But there was also something else.

Suddenly, Castiel pulled back. He stared at the wall in concentration, and did not notice Dean’s worried look for a few minutes.

“What’s up, babe?”

He could feel them all. Not as clearly as Dean maybe, but he could feel every shifter of the pack through his mating bond, through Dean. And not just ghosting in the back of his head, there but strangely anonymous, like he had before – it was almost like they were trying to get his attention.

“The bond, Dean. The pack,” Castiel finally mumbled.

“So you _can_ feel them?” Dean did not look too surprised, more like he had already known something was wrong… no, not wrong, different.

Castiel nodded, and Dean seemed uncertain when the omega did not say anything for another long moment.

“So… what do you think about that, Cas?”

“Like it might give me a headache real soon.”

Castiel was not lying. It felt a little overwhelming. He could suddenly feel glimpses of about fifty different personalities in his mind. He just hoped he would not get crazy over this new development.

But Dean just chuckled and pulled Castiel towards him again. “You just have to get used to it. Close the door around you, figuratively speaking. It’ll be fine.”

Dean kissed him right under his left eye, like everything was just like it was supposed to be; but Castiel was not quite as confident. It seemed impossible to control or ignore the pull of so many people. He tried to deliberately reach out in his mind, searching for the newest pack member. And there he was; Jack. There seemed to be some nervous energy around him, but Castiel could not be sure, maybe that was just himself. But as quickly as he had been able to tune in on Jack, as quickly Castiel lost the connection again. That was probably best. He remembered that Dean had told him a pack member would know when he reached out to them on purpose, and Castiel did not want anyone to think he was spying on them. But still, now that he had thought about him, Castiel really wanted to check on Jack. No matter how comfortable he felt next to his Mate. Or how much he enjoyed the feeling of Dean’s rough cheek on his own. Or the distracting hand on his back.

“Maybe we should get up,” he suggested as Dean was nipping lightly over Castiel’s neck. It had not been easy to force those words out. He might have ended on a little moan.

“No, we shouldn’t.” Dean replied, not too surprisingly. But then his stomach protested again, even louder than last time. The Alpha barked out a short laugh and pulled back. “All right. Maybe we could grab a quick breakfast, and then we can come back up here.”

Castiel already shuffled away from Dean. “I might be persuaded to do that. But only after we checked in on our newest pack member.”

Dean looked at him strangely. Then he smiled. “ _Our_ pack, Cas?”

Castiel blinked – he had not meant anything by those words, and yet Dean looked at him like Castiel had said something important, had meant something else, something _more_. And Castiel realised that the Alpha was right.

“Well, it is also my pack, isn’t it?” He stood from the bed and turned around so he could look down at Dean, even though not into his eyes, trying to hide the sudden bout of uncertainty. But he wanted to make sure they were both on the same page. Castiel did not plan to let Dean handle all the pack business alone whilst he himself would only wait in their bed until the Alpha found the time to come to him. Especially not now, when he felt the whole bond so much stronger than before. Sure, he had been a member of this pack for months already, and he had cared for everyone – even about those shifters he did not like, much –, but this felt different. “And since I am now the Alpha’s Mate, it is my responsibility as much as yours to look after them, don’t you think?”

Castiel realised that he had sounded a little brusque, but he needed to make sure that his alpha did not see him as a mere sidekick. They were Mates now, and Castiel wanted to help Dean with his burden of being Alpha as much as he wanted to make sure the pack was happy and balanced. He did not want to lead them, not like Dean did, but he would not just stand on the sidelines either.

Dean hopped off the bed, palmed Castiel’s cheek gently and brushed his lips over the omega’s before he said: “Our pack, Cas. I’m glad you think so.”

And when Castiel looked up into green eyes, he could see Dean’s wolf smiling down on him in obvious pride. He hadn’t needed to worry; his Mate was not looking for a compliant omega, who would only spend his time stroking his Mate’s ego – and other parts.

“Let’s go and find you something to eat. And I want to talk to Jack.”

“Well, then we’re lucky, since we’ll find both in the kitchen.”

Castiel frowned – he might have been able to tell that Jack was closer than the Arctic Sea, but he could not have been able to pinpoint his whereabouts so exactly. Dean was probably more sensitive of his pack than Castiel – or maybe he just needed more practise.

After a quick shower – separately, to not delay any more –, they did find both, food and the young alpha, in the kitchen. Just like Dean had anticipated.

Jack was seated at the table with Cesar, Garth and Charlie. All three seemed to treat the young man more amiable than before. After all, he was pack now.

Garth and Charlie hopped up and quickly made Castiel and Dean a breakfast of pancakes, eggs and bacon that had already been halfway prepared. Neither of the four people in the kitchen addressed the new – and very prominent – marks on both men’s necks. But Charlie giggled a lot more than usual while Garth hugged Dean tightly for what felt like five minutes. Dean rolled his eyes over-dramatically. Cesar just gave Castiel a very knowing smile that had him blush a deep shade of red. Jack seemed too busy to stare at his own hands to notice anything out of the ordinary.

While Garth and Charlie worked at the stove, Dean rested a hand on Cesar’s shoulder and the two men talked lowly. The omega had been badly injured last night, more so than anyone else, and he looked like he had not slept as much as he should have.

“I’m fine, Dean. Another day or two, and I’m as good as new.” He scoffed. “The hospital even called early this morning and apologised for kicking me out. Told me they would be happy if I decided to work for them again.”

“What did you say?” Castiel asked as he sat down next to Jack. The young man seemed nervous, so Castiel brushed a hand over his arm for a second. All he got in response was an unconvincing smile.

“That I’d think about it. You know, the last boy you two brought out?” Cesar looked at Dean and Jack, who suddenly glanced at the Alpha in panic. “That was the rich kid who was scared of me and whose parents got me fired in the first place.” He cliqued his tongue. “Anyway, I would have preferred if they had wanted me back without any life-threatening situations beforehand. So, I think I’m gonna stay where I am for a while.”

“But first, you should get back to bed.” Dean’s voice was surprisingly stern, but the way he gently stroked a hand over the back of the omega’s neck took the edge off his order.

Cesar only sighed and leaned into the touch for a moment; then he stood up and with a wave, he left the room. Castiel could see that he was still limping. Garth and Charlie put the plates full of food on the table and then left as well. There seemed to be a secret agreement to leave the newest pack member alone with Dean and Castiel.

Jack had not yet said a word other than a mumbled _good morning_ when Dean and Castiel had entered. He avoided eye contact with either man and looked pale as he kneaded his hands nervously.

As soon as Garth closed the door, Castiel asked encouragingly: “Are you all right, Jack? Did you heal well overnight? Has Alex looked you over?”

Dean sat down at the head of the table, next to Jack, with Castiel on the boy’s other side. Again, the young man’s eyes flickered towards his Alpha who had not yet addressed him. Jack’s gaze was briefly fixed on Dean’s neck, and Castiel could not stop a satisfied smirk spreading over his face when he looked at the Mating Mark. He wondered for a second that no one had addressed it, yet – maybe they had been trying to be polite, or to give the newly Mates their space. Castiel almost cackled out a laugh that would have been very inappropriate in their current situation. No, those wolves were not trying to be sensitive, especially not Charlie or Garth. They also had not seemed surprised at all. Maybe they had known before; a shift in the bond, just like Castiel had experienced. It would make sense. But still, it was odd Charlie had made not one dirty joke.

“I’m fine, thank you, Castiel.” Jack cleared his throat, then he looked back in Dean’s direction, even though he had his eyes more on the level of Dean’s food instead of his face. “And thank you, Alpha, for what you did last night. You had no reason to claim me; you could have just as easily let me die. It would have been my own fault. I should’ve listened to you and not come after you in the first place.”

Dean swallowed down a mouthful of bacon before he answered. The silence did nothing to calm Jack, obviously, and Castiel barely managed not to intervene.

“Yes, you should have listened. And since you are part of my pack now, let me tell you, I don’t tolerate disobedience. When I tell you to stay out of a fight, you stay out. And when I tell you to dig a hole and hide there for a week, you’ll do exactly that. Got it?” Dean’s voice had been even harsher than usually when he talked to Jack, and the boy seemed to shrink in on himself, but he managed a tiny nod. Castiel was about to chide Dean, but then he remembered how worried the Alpha had been last night. He would not have enjoyed killing the boy, Castiel was sure of that, and Dean had been relieved when he finally submitted to him, regaining control of his wolf. He had also been quite impressed with Jack’s self-restraint. So Castiel was not surprised when Dean finally added: “But what you did last night was very brave, Jack. Stupid, but brave. I might not have been able to save that kid had you not been there to help me. And I don’t know any other shifter who would have been able to keep such a strong wolf in check with all the pain and excitement around, and without belonging to a pack. Especially not at your age.” He patted Jack’s shoulder and stopped eating for a moment to look at him directly. “You did good there, kid.”

Jack’s eyes widened, and then he was suddenly blinking rapidly. Castiel smiled. Of course, Jack had probably never been complimented by an Alpha before. Especially not for doing something _good_.

With his mouth full again, Dean added: “But don’t ever act against my orders again.” Jack nodded again, this time a lot more eager than before. “And now get back up and sleep some more. You’re almost falling over. You just got claimed, Jack. You don’t need much more than food and sleep for the next couple of days. You’ll want to have your strength back before the next Full Moon.”

“Yes, Alpha. Thank you.”

Dean scoffed: “You can still call me _Dean_ , you know.”

The young alpha smiled as he got up. “Dean,” he whispered more to himself than towards the Alpha.

Just as Jack had reached the door, Dean announced: “You get two days off. Then I expect you back at the shop – and you will take training classes with Ketch or Cole every day. You still have a lot to learn before I will let you anywhere near a dangerous situation again.”

When Jack had left the room, Dean looked at Castiel expectantly.

“What?” Castiel asked confused.

“Aren’t you gonna yell at me now for being too rough or whatever?”

“Why should I? I think you’re right.” Dean raised an eyebrow. “I know that you only want to protect your own. Jack is young and strong; I can see now how dangerous that is. And running into a burning house without a plan was definitely a stupid idea that I hope he won’t repeat in the near future. Or ever.” Castiel stroked a hand over Dean’s arm before he stood up and put his plate in the dishwasher. “And no matter how much you might intimidate him from time to time, we both know you won’t hurt one of yours unless it is absolutely necessary.”

Dean was about to reply something, but then the door was opened again and in came Kevin, Claire and Rowena, followed by Crowley. Castiel had almost forgotten how full the house still was after the excitement of last night. The two women just took a look from Castiel to Dean, then at each other, giggled loudly and turned around again. Kevin mumbled something about how he had just wanted to get some orange juice, but then he suddenly hugged Castiel tightly before he left abruptly, without any beverage or any other explanation. Crowley just stood there with an exasperated expression, waiting to be finally addressed by Dean whose ears had turned a little pink. Castiel was glad he was not the only one who felt embarrassed. Even though he knew there was absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. They had just Mated – like everyone in this pack had urged them to do for weeks, even though some had been a lot more subtle about it than others. And Castiel would have every right to simply drag Dean back to his lair, where they should change into wolf form and groom each other for hours...

In the end, they could not return to their bedroom directly after breakfast like they had planned, because Crowley insisted he needed to talk to the Alpha about an official pack statement for some newspapers. It was easy to see Dean seriously did not care about that matter, but as Crowley started on a lecture about the importance of his request the pack leader just agreed to look at it – Crowley’s monologues could get really long, and it was usually quicker to just do what he asked for in the first place. Castiel let his Mate handle his Third on his own – thinking wickedly that he did not need to support his Mate in every tiny affair – and used the time to see Jack in private before he would fall asleep. On the way up, he wondered how not even Crowley had openly teased them about their new mating marks.

He knocked softly on the door and was not surprised to see the young man was still fully dressed when he entered. He had a feeling that Jack was hiding something in his nightstand, simply by the way Jack lingered in front of it for a few seconds, but he couldn’t be sure. And it was not like he had a right to inspect his privacy.

“You know, Dean just told you to listen to him from now on. And I think he ordered you to get some sleep.”

Jack’s eyes widened for a second, like he believed Castiel had come to check in on him, but when the omega smiled, he chuckled.

“I didn’t think he would mind if I waited for another minute or two. I hoped I would be able to talk to you alone.”

Castiel sat down on a chair, opposite from Jack on the bed. There was obviously something troubling the young alpha.

“I don’t understand why Dean claimed me last night. I was a danger to everyone, _and_ I acted against his orders. He should have killed me.”

There was something in Jack’s tone that puzzled Castiel. “Would you have preferred that?”

“Of course not, but… I just don’t understand it. Maybe he did it for you.” He pointedly looked at Castiel’s neck. He suddenly sounded defiant, almost angry. “So you would agree to mate him.”

Castiel tilted his head to the side and thought for a moment, trying to calm his own anger that had seemingly come out of nowhere at Jack’s subtle accusation. “I don’t think so. I think Dean would have regretted to kill any strong and brave shifter, no matter what I thought of you. And it was _your_ actions that convinced Dean in the end, not me. The fact that you were able to regain control, that was something else, Jack.”

Jack looked sheepishly to the floor. He seemed a bit forlorn, so Castiel got up and hugged him.

“Like I said before, Jack, this is a good pack. I am happy here, and you can be as well. Dean might be gruff, believe me, I know, but he is a righteous man. And he always looks out for his pack. He only wants us to be healthy and safe. When he sets rules, it’s because he wants to protect everyone, not to supress his shifters.”

“That really doesn’t sound like an Alpha.”

“No, Jack, it only doesn’t sound like Lucifer. I told you before: If you want to learn something about alphas, you should rather look at Dean than at that old devil.” He stroked a hand over Jack’s head and added: “And just to make this very clear, Jack: I mated with Dean because I wanted to. The fact that Dean claimed you had nothing to do with that matter – even though I am very glad he did.” Castiel did not want anyone to believe his decision had anything to do with Jack, least of all did he want such gossip to reach Dean. He hugged Jack once more to make sure the boy knew he was not angry with him. “We’re all a family now, Jack.”

When Castiel closed the door a few minutes later, Jack still had a strange look on his face – something between disbelief and bliss. Castiel remembered that feeling too well from the first weeks he had been in this house. He hoped it would not take long for the young man to completely understand how this pack worked.

 

>>><<< 

 

During the next few weeks, Castiel felt like he was living on a happy cloud. He had moved in with Dean – if anyone had asked him just half a year ago if he would ever move in with someone after just a few months of knowing each other, he would have laughed in their face. But his wolf was urging him to be close to his Mate as often as possible, and since they were already living in the same house, it seemed ridiculous to keep separate bedrooms. But not only Castiel and Dean – and their wolves – seemed to be happy with this new arrangement, the whole pack was obviously relieved that they had finally found together. And Castiel could feel it through the whole pack bonds. If the Alpha was happy, everyone else seemed to be more balanced as well. Dean still insisted that the stability was even stronger because he had bonded with an _omega_ – but Castiel could not really tell the difference. According to Dean, only an Alpha could really know about the importance of balanced omegas for a pack.

The first days had been a bit odd; no one had said anything, there were just subtle glances at their necks and more whispering than Castiel was used to – until the Full Moon. Castiel had often witnessed various shifters coming up to Dean, wanting to get stroked and nestled, but they had never sought out Castiel before, other than his friends like Charlie or Kevin. But on that first Full Moon as the new Mate of their Alpha, Castiel had not time to hunt himself because every wolf, some of them he had never even really talked to before, came up to him and bowed down their heads a little. It had taken a while until Castiel had realised they wanted him to rub his head over theirs, like they so often invited Dean to do. He spent almost the whole night like that and did not even make it to the forest but stayed at the meadow behind the pack house the whole time. But he did not need to hunt anything anyway, because his pack members came and brought him their prey, one after the other. Castiel’s wolf was very proud of every one of them, especially Jack who had brought him a rabbit after he had taken off with Dean, followed by Claire and Kevin, to teach him something about hunting. Castiel did not even feel bad that he had not been able to spend the whole Full Moon at Dean’s side, he was just too happy nuzzling and cuddling and grooming every other wolf in their pack. It felt like an old ritual, even though he did not know the rules; but all the wolves seemed to share the same impulse. Castiel did not care where it had come from; he just felt welcomed and wanted and happy.

The feast after the Full Moon was fully committed to celebrating the two Mates as well – this time, with quite a few lewd remarks – and to welcome the new pack member in their midst.

To Castiel’s delight, Jack seemed to make progress as well. He was a lot happier than Castiel had ever seen him – even though he seemed to be a little melancholy at times. But maybe that was just his disposition. He still got along well with Kevin and Alex, and, to everyone’s surprise, also with Claire. The blond girl seemingly enjoyed showing him the ropes – which everyone found hilarious since she was the youngest wolf apart from Jack. Or Castiel – but as the Alpha’s Mate, there had been a different set of rules for Castiel since day one.

Jack was still working with Dean in the garage, but as soon as the new semester started, he would enlist in the local college. Jack had been surprised when Dean had asked him what he had done, or planned on doing, before Lucifer had turned him into a werewolf and made him work for his business as well as all the other shifters. Jack had always wanted to become a doctor one day, and Dean had allowed him to attend college – Jack hardly believed what he heard, especially when Dean joked that Alex might help him through the exam one day since the omega had done it three times in the last century – to stay up-to-date with newest developments. But Dean also told him that he would watch him closely – being a doctor was a stressful job, and if Dean ever thought it would put too much pressure on Jack, they would have to think of something else. Castiel was baffled the Alpha would even let him try, considering Jack was still a pup and learning how to be a wolf, but he knew that Dean had talked to Alex before and she seemed to believe it would be better to start at a young age – being a werewolf and a doctor might feel more natural if he got used to it from the beginning. And anyways, there were years of learning before he would even set a needle on anyone – and maybe Jack would change his mind after a year or two. It happened.

Dean’s amusement at Jack’s disbelief soon turned into annoyance when Jack started a new pastime: Imitating Dean every chance he got. Dean always took a long run in the woods after he came back from work – so did Jack. Dean’s favourite food was a cheeseburger with bacon and fries, preferably followed by pie – and soon, it became Jack’s number one choice of nourishment as well. Jack had also started to use phrases he had clearly picked up from the Alpha in everyday conversations – he increasingly used the expression _son of a bitch_ or called everything he remotely liked _awesome_ – and he even imitated Dean’s posture. It was quite entertaining. When Dean sat on his chair in a somewhat macho-like pose it might at least look natural, but with Jack, it simply was hilarious. Everyone thought it was highly amusing how Jack seemed to study Dean with a concentrated look most of the time, like he wanted to memorise every detail – even though Castiel firmly hoped it was only a phase; Dean might not be the worst role model for a young alpha, but Jack also needed to find himself. And of course there was that one person who could not laugh at Jack’s antics, and that was the Alpha himself. Dean had barked impatiently at Jack on various occasions, when he had imitated him too obviously for him not to notice – but he had always looked a bit guilty afterwards. Especially because Jack usually looked like a sad puppy who couldn’t figure out what he had done wrong.

But Jack was not the only one who spent a lot of time learning to accommodate to his new life. The weeks after his Mating, Castiel was busy trying to get used to the new bond. He still was not able to find out everyone’s exact position, but he could tell with relative certainty if someone was in the same house, if he concentrated on them. Hard. But that was the biggest problem: Whenever he concentrated on someone – or sometimes merely thought about them, really – he would often accidentally intrude on them. Unfortunately, the shifters usually felt his presence and probably thought he was trying to listen in on their thoughts. Which was ridiculous, because he could not do that, nor could Dean. But he could sometimes get a glimpse of what they were feeling at the moment. Like that time he had accidentally stepped into a very – very! – private moment between Garth and Bess. Castiel felt embarrassed afterwards, but Garth only laughed it away, telling him that everyone could know how very – very! – happy his Mate made him. Dean, of course, nearly fell over when Castiel had begged him to help him stay out of other people’s sex life. But Castiel had still trouble with the new bond – even though some patient volunteers like Sam or Charlie tried to help him figure it all out. He found out that he could theoretically call them to him, like Dean could, but with less force. It was more like a polite request, not a direct order they could not refuse. He could never say what someone was thinking, but he could receive some strong emotions if he concentrated on someone – unlike Dean, who could always tell if someone was scared or stressed, even without looking for it. And through the pack bond Castiel had a stronger idea of the character of a person, and even saw some of the shifters differently than before. For example, he had a strange new fondness for Alex who seemed to care a lot more for the pack than she usually let anyone see; and he was more wary of Ketch than before. That alpha might not want to lead his own pack, but he was certainly too dominant to be content with his current position in the long run – Castiel feared he might one day decide to challenge Sam or Crowley. Crowley, on the other hand, was still a lockbox for Castiel – the alpha was good at shutting him out. He had even barked at him once that he better never even think about him. Castiel had worried, thinking the alpha was hiding something, but Dean had laughed it off, telling him Crowley just liked to pretend he was oh-so-very mysterious. But unlike Crowley, most shifters were patient with him when he had accidentally called them again. For the hundredth time, trying to learn how to think about someone _without_ pulling at their strings. The main problem was: Whenever he thought he had figured it out, it backfired again. When he was stressed or nervous, he could not call on anyone, other times, he merely had to think about someone. It was frustrating; like a switch that would turn itself on and off. But no one seemed to resent him for it. Dean was patient with him as well, teaching him, oftentimes with a little teasing on top. But his jokes were good natured and Castiel did not mind them too much. The only time the Alpha had seemed a little disgruntled was when Jody had knocked at their door while they were in the middle of some passionate night-time activities. The pack leader had seemed hurt in his pride that Castiel would have even thought about anyone else than Dean in that moment – if only for a mere second! But after a few weeks, he had been able to laugh about it. Castiel was just glad he had not thought about any of the male alphas in the pack. Then Dean might have needed a lot more time to find the scene even remotely amusing.

Castiel sometimes wondered at the luck he had to be here with this wonderful pack. He still did not know what had made Chuck come for him and bring him here, where he finally, at the age of 38, had found a home. Castiel looked out of the living room window where he could see Ketch teaching Jack and Claire some fighting tricks while Kevin watched them with a book in hand he hardly looked at. Even if he had not found his Mate here, he knew he would have been happy. There were so many more people that he loved. There was Sam who treated him almost like another brother; Charlie and Kevin had soon become close friends even though Castiel did not understand their passion for tech; and he even liked Pam and Rowena and the women’s bold flirting – no matter how much it made him blush. And now there was Jack as well, a boy he had felt oddly responsible for ever since they first met. The atmosphere in the Pack House was safe and cosy. Occasionally, a wolf acted up, but outside from the scene with Jack, Castiel had not witnessed any situation that was ever truly dangerous. Whenever Dean felt someone was getting close to losing control, he pulled them back quickly, and an omega was always ready to help. Which was still one of the most wonderful things Castiel had learned about this pack – that alphas, betas and omegas were all equal. Dean might still believe that alphas were physically strongest or the best fighters – though he would never say it out loud to either Castiel or Sam – but he still acknowledged the betas’ ability to listen to their human side, which often made them react more considerate and less impulsive. And everyone was honouring an omega’s talent to keep their wolves in check, no matter how dangerous or stressful the situation was.

But why had Chuck saved him? Why had he brought him to this wonderful pack? Castiel knew by now that he was far from the only wolf who had suffered an unfriendly fate. Nearly everyone of Dean’s wolves who had not come here right after their Change had a tragic story somewhere in their past, even though no one liked to talk about it. Just like Dean still refused to tell Castiel any details about his time with Alastair. Alex, another omega, had been Changed when she was a very young girl and had lived in a pack that had brainwashed her for a long time. They had obviously not been very fond of humans – other than to hunt them down like interesting prey. She once told Castiel: “My wolf and I, we don’t dwell on the past. We are happy now, that is all that matters.”

“What are you thinking about, handsome?”

Castiel smiled as he felt Dean’s arms suddenly embracing him from behind.

“I thought about Father. How fortunate I was that he brought me here. But I have no idea why he took such an interest in me.”

Dean sighed, like Castiel had known he would. His Alpha did not seem to be the biggest fan of the Father of Wolves.

“Who knows why Chuck does anything? He should just make up his mind if he wants to get involved in the life of others or not. I mean, the fact that packs like Lucifer’s or Raphael’s even exist is all his fault, isn’t it?”

Castiel frowned. It was not the first time Dean had connected every bad pack with Chuck. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, he could just walk right up to them and command all Alphas to treat their packs better. But he doesn’t. I once asked him about that, and he told me he cannot just tell everyone to do as he says. He could not take their free will away. Life would be a dictatorship.” Dean let out a humourless laugh. “Like that would matter. We are wolves. _Every_ pack is a dictatorship.”

“This one isn’t,” Castiel replied. Dean raised an incredulous eyebrow, and Castiel sometimes wondered what the Alpha thought about himself. It was clearly not as positive as Castiel did. “You would never make an important decision without consulting others first, at the very least Sam and Crowley, or Jody. Or me, as I would like to think. And you listen when someone contradicts you. You might not like it, and you might bark at them and then retreat to sulk or work on your car for the rest of the day.” Everyone knew better than to disturb Dean while he was working on his beloved Impala. “But you usually mull it over, and you might even change your mind.” Castiel smiled softly. “Sometimes you just need a little time to get your head straight again.”

Dean looked like he didn’t know whether he should laugh or object, so Castiel didn’t give him the opportunity to do either, and kissed him. After a while, he rested his head against Dean’s chest.

“I don’t want you to leave,” he murmured eventually.

“It’s just for a few days,” Dean replied with a smile in his voice. “Hardly enough time for you to miss me.”

“I already miss you,” Castiel replied, a little incredulous at his own soppy words. “You could take me with you.”

“We talked about this, sweetheart. I just found you. And it’s too risky. I’d rather have you here. At least let them find out that I am mated before I present you.”

Castiel shuddered a little. He liked it when Dean called him _sweetheart_ ; especially because he had never thought it was something Dean would say.

“I thought all this was about keeping peace. So wouldn’t I be safe with them?”

“We are still a bunch of Alphas in one small place, Cas. That’s always dangerous.”

“All the more reason to bring an omega.”

Dean laughed and kissed Castiel on the tip of his nose. “And that’s why I take Jody with me.”

Castiel rolled his eyes. He had known it was futile before he even started the subject, again. Dean would have to leave for a meeting of Alphas with Anna, Gabriel, Billy, and Samuel. They usually only brought an entourage of two more wolves – in Dean’s case Jody and Sam – to keep tempers down and not to accidentally start a war. Before he had moved to this pack, Castiel had not known that some packs deliberately tried to maintain a good relationship with each other and even promised to help each other out if one got attacked. Formerly, Pack Alphas would only meet occasionally to combine their strength in a possible fight against humans. But Dean seemed to have a pretty good relationship with some other Alphas, especially with Anna, and even Gabriel.

“I promise you can come next time, baby. It’s what we agreed on, remember?”

With a sigh, Castiel nodded. He already regretted he had allowed Dean to talk him into staying behind.

 

>>><<< 

 

Since the Alpha could not be persuaded, a few hours later, Castiel kissed Dean goodbye and for some reason, he felt uneasy. More so than this short trip should call for. Maybe it was just because they would be apart from each other for the first time since they mated. Castiel’s wolf certainly wasn’t happy.

To pass the time in the evening, he knocked at Jack’s door. The alpha had moved to Castiel’s old apartment, which was a lot more spacious than the guestroom he had occupied before. When no one answered, Castiel hesitantly pushed down the handle and stepped in. Jack was not to be seen, but Castiel could hear a noise from the bathroom.

“Jack? Are you there?”

While he talked, Castiel’s eyes glanced over Jack’s bed where a phone lay on top of the covers. He stared at it for a moment, unable to identify what dishevelled him about that sight.

“Castiel, hey… what brings you here?” Jack suddenly came out of the bathroom, dressed only in a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, hair still wet.

But Castiel did not even look at him. Following his instincts, he marched straight toward the bed and took the phone. It had a sticker of Scooby Doo on the back. Castiel frowned at it and it took another while until he connected the dots. But Jack’s fevered expression made it clear that Castiel had just discovered something important. Then he realised he had seen that exact phone before. Months ago.

“Didn’t you say you came here without anything? No money, no phone?”

Instead of answering, Jack slowly walked towards the door to the hallway, confusing Castiel even further, and then he firmly closed it and stood between Castiel and the only way out. The omega suddenly felt trapped. But that was stupid. He was here with Jack, one of the gentlest alphas he had ever met. Who almost seemed to look up to Dean and Castiel like they were his surrogate parents. He was no threat to Castiel. Then the phone suddenly started ringing, and in his surprise, Castiel let it fall back on the bed.

“Jack? What is this about?”

Jack walked towards Castiel, still blocking the way to the door. His eyes were locked on the phone.

“Dean’s first instinct had been right, Castiel. I was sent here to take the pack.”

Castiel looked back down at the ringing phone in disbelief.

The screen read: _Lucifer calling_.

 


	12. Chapter 12

**TWELVE**

 

When Dean parked his beloved car in front of the Pack House, he waited a moment to calm down. Jody and Sam exited the car, giving him room to get his game face back on. Sam patted him on the shoulder once, and Jody mumbled “take your time”.

Dean could tell that Castiel was agitated, but he tried to calm down, because the omega had told him multiple times already that he should not overreact on everything he felt through the bond. His Mate would get nervous, or angry, or insecure – and Dean could not barge in any time he was feeling unwell. Moreover, Castiel had told him that this behaviour was embarrassing for him, especially in front of their pack. And Dean did not want to embarrass his Mate.

Still, it felt hard to not just run to Castiel and hide him in the bedroom for a week.

Three days he had spent in the company of a bunch of other Alphas – and it had been enough to drive even Jody and Sam to exasperation from time to time. Anna, accompanied by Victor and Lily, was fine, but between Gabriel’s strange sense of humour, Billy’s condescending remarks and Samuel’s constant know-it-best -attitude, it was sometimes hard for Dean not start throwing punches. But he knew that it was just as tricky for the other Alphas. Billy only came with two omegas these days, hoping they would ground her enough not to kill Gabriel.

The last few days had taken so much of Dean’s self-restraint and energy, he wasn’t sure there was anything left.

He took in another deep breath and exited the car. The cool air of the late evening did nothing to make him more comfortable. He doubted anything would be able to do that, despite maybe taking his Mate to bed.

Thinking about Castiel again, Dean got even more agitated.

His Mate was a risk, he knew that. He had not wanted to leave Castiel behind, but no less had he wanted to bring him to the meeting because he had been scared that someone might use him as a pawn to get to Dean. The Alpha had not even wanted the other packs to know that he had found a Mate – but both Anna and Gabriel had somehow already found out and had no restrictions to tell the other Alphas about it, even before Dean arrived with the new mark on his neck. It did not help, at least not much, that Anna and her entourage seemed honestly happy for him, and that even Gabriel and Billy had congratulated him somewhat sincerely. As for Samuel, there had been something close to jealousy gleaming in his eyes. However, Dean trusted all the present Alphas, trusted the treaty between their packs, but he was still not comfortable to lead Castiel into possibly dangerous situations.

Dean knew that Castiel had only agreed to be left behind because their relationship was relatively new, and he granted Dean a little time to get used to it. But he also knew that Castiel would not allow him to treat him like an incapable pup for much longer. His wolf might be young, but Castiel was a fully-grown man with his own mind and a lot of opinions. His mere existence would certainly bring more than one change for the Winchester pack, and the Alpha’s personal life. Dean scoffed and looked back at his car. He drove the same vehicle he had owned since before he had been turned into a werewolf. He was not especially good with change.

The thought about his Mate did not calm his wolf; or maybe it was the thought that he would not be able to keep him out of harm’s way forever that had him even more nervous than before. Castiel was too independent to let Dean handle all the difficult situations while he would just hide under the bed. Just like Sammy had been. When he came to the pack officially, Bobby’s pack back then, Dean had spent months trying to keep his brother out of every single fight, only aggravating him in the end. He should not make the same mistake with Castiel. He could only make sure he was good at defending himself, like ha had done with Sam. Since Lucifer had never really cared about training all his wolves equally, at least not those who weren’t alphas, it had become Dean’s task to help them find their own strengths. Sometimes, life was just strange, Dean thought, both his brother and his Mate having lived in the same pack, being mistreated by the same Alpha.

The thought that he might have lost both his brother and his Mate – even though he had not known him back then – to Lucifer’s cruelty made his inner wolf roar out. Obviously, Dean’s attempts to calm down had not been very successful.

He was angry and upset.

He wanted to hunt something.

Someone.

Dean took another deep breath. He chose not to walk inside the house, but strolled directly towards the garden, and stopped close to the forest. He looked up at the sky. The moon was almost full; tomorrow night, they would run and hunt together. And have a great feast afterwards.

A sudden melancholy settled into his bones as he thought about all the wolves with whom he had hunted in these forests. There had been Benny, his best friend and almost like a brother to him. Anna, with her wit and flirtatious behaviour, the only one inside the pack he had ever engaged with in a sexual way. But that was back when Bobby was still Alpha. Bobby, who had taught him that strength and dominance were not the only attributes of a good Alpha. With an aching heart, Dean remembered how Ellen and Jo had wandered through the woods together on every Full Moon, inseparable, and better hunters than most of his alphas.

With a soft shake of his head, he tried to evoke some more happy memories. Of Claire, who had been so confident and excited on her first Full Moon and who was relentlessly improving her skills. He had known after a week that he would someday lose her to her own pack. He just hoped he would have enough time to teach her everything she needed to know to find her own way until then. He also hoped his heart would not break if she took Alex and Jody with her, maybe even Kevin. Then he thought about Garth who was a bit clumsy but still made a surprisingly good catch on every other hunt. And of course, he had also run along Crowley who seemed to believe that hunting deer was simply beneath him – Dean knew better than to trust the rumours that Crowley just wasn’t capable to catch anything – but who would always prepare a delicious meal for the whole pack. And at last, he thought about hunting through his territory with Castiel. Who had looked so proud with that puny squirrel between his fangs. At that memory, Dean let out a low chuckle.

It felt almost unbelievable to Dean that Castiel had only arrived here three Moons ago. It felt like a different time. When Dean’s thoughts went back to the days before his Mate had arrived, his wolf let out an impatient bark. He tended to live in the present and didn’t care much about the past. And he certainly did not care for Dean’s strange mood, either.

Being reminded of the present by his wolf, Dean suddenly felt watched, like he had on occasion for the last couple of months, like someone was lurking in the forest, waiting. He suddenly remembered what Gabriel had told him last weekend, and a shiver ran down his back. He had learned how Gabriel had wandered as a lone wolf for centuries, walked in and out of pack territories, without anyone noticing him. Which should be impossible. Obviously, there were a few advantages of being one of the First. And Dean might not mind if his almost-friend had the power of invisibility, but he definitely did not like to think that it was just as easy for Lucifer or Rafael to move unnoticed through claimed territories.

Dean kept glaring at a dark spot, where he had felt sharp eyes on him, and then suddenly Ketch stepped out of the forest. Dean should have been relieved since Ketch was the very man he had ordered to guard the headquarters while he was away. He had even made him change his shifts at the fire department, because Dean wanted one of his strongest wolves around the house the whole time he was gone.

But now, in his current mood, Dean had no love left for Ketch, who only nodded at him curtly. Dean had always felt more cautious around Ketch than his other alphas; he might not want to lead his own pack, but there was some aggressiveness to him that made him dangerous, and Dean could never completely forget that. Oddly enough, Charlie seemed to be quite fond of him however, and since they had engaged in some strange friendship, Dean had started to relax around Ketch. He had trusted Charlie’s instincts. Still, right now, he glared at him for another moment and did everything he could not to punch him in the face like he so desperately wanted.

But instead of attacking his guard, Dean turned around and walked slowly towards the terrace, intending to enter the house through the glass door to the living room.

But he did not get that far. There was another movement to his side, and his wolf recognised who was stepping out of the shadows before he even saw him. He had smelled Jack the moment he came to the lawn, even before he had noticed Ketch.

The young man held himself awkwardly. Even in human form, he made Dean think of an animal that was caught between the impulse to run or attack. His wolf immediately reacted with a growl, but Dean held him back. Jack hadn’t done anything wrong. Yet.

“Hey, Jack, what are you doing out here? Did you go for a run?”

It took a moment for Jack to answer, and Dean’s hackles raised.

“Dean. Welcome back. I was ordered to guard the grounds with Ketch while you were away. I hope you had a successful meeting with the other Alphas.”

Even for Jack’s standards, it sounded a little stiff. Maybe he was just spending too much time with Castiel and Ketch.

“Well, it went as well as one could hope for. Everyone is still alive. We always count that as a win.”

Jack did not react to Dean’s humorous reply.

“Where’s Cas?”

“Inside. He’s with Crowley and Cole.”

The Alpha frowned. Yep, because those two would be Castiel’s favourite people to hang out with. Dean felt another surge of agitation running through his body, but he nodded anyway, like all was good and well, while he waited for Jack to make his first move. There was something in the air; Dean would have to be a far younger wolf not to recognise the mixture of excitement and fear coming from Jack. And the obvious determination. But the boy just stood there and looked at Dean. Who tried his best not to run inside and search for his Mate.

“You have something you want to tell me, Jack?” He finally asked, tired of waiting, with an impatient wolf growling at him already.

And then Dean felt it.

He felt how Jack pulled at the strings of the pack bond. At the same time the young man straightened and like he had already done on the first night they met, Dean recognised how strong his wolf was. He was still tugging at the bond and Dean was not surprised when a moment later, some members of his pack hurried outside. He noticed Sam and Jody, Garth, Pam and Cesar. No Castiel, though.

When Jack spoke again, his voice rang true through the chilly night air:

“Dean Winchester, Alpha of the Winchester Pack, I challenge you for leadership of your pack.”

Involuntarily, Dean’s wolf snarled loudly, and this time, it reverberated through Dean’s throat. Growling sounds came from all around. Dean held up a hand. It was any pack member’s right to challenge the Alpha, even though it had not happened often since Dean took over. And even though Dean had not ended up as Alpha because he had defeated Bobby in a fight, but because the old Alpha had just stepped down. Dean certainly would not repeat that tonight.

Sam was the only one who tried to step between the two alphas, but he was held back by Ketch with a strong grip. Again, Dean felt the urge to punch him, but instead, he concentrated on Jack.

“I accept your challenge,” Dean answered, almost gently. It really was the only thing he could do. An outsider, he would have been able to deny, but not a member of his own pack. And even if he failed, it was not like his pack would automatically belong to the winner. There would be more fighting, other alphas trying to step up, and even if they didn’t, Dean doubted Jack would be able to claim all of his shifters. He had a strong pack. A pack that was forced to stay back in this fight.

His wolf was pawing at him, urgent to attack. To kill the one that would dare to take his pack. They were _his_. He was especially angry because he had acknowledged the pup as one of his own. And as much as Dean had sometimes been annoyed by him, his wolf had always been secretly proud.

Dean let out another threatening sound, and Jack suddenly looked small and scared. But he still pulled strongly against the pack bond – until it broke, leaving chaos behind. Dean would not be able to use his own people to back him up. It would be a fair fight between two wolves. But Dean didn’t have much time to think about the fairness of the challenge.

Jack shifted into wolf form and charged at Dean so suddenly, he had hardly time to change himself.

When Jack’s body crashed into him, Dean vaguely heard loud growls erupting from all around. He felt two of his pack members change instantly, their wolves so enraged that their humans had lost control for a moment. At least Dean hoped it was only a moment. He could not check, could only feel the pack bond as it was only a dim echo of itself since Jack’s challenge. And he needed to concentrate on the fight at hand. Jack had already caught him off guard.

Dean rolled around and threw Jack off him, but the young wolf hardly took a second of recovery before he jumped at him again. Dean soon realised that his lessons had paid off a lot more than he would have believed. In other surroundings, he might have been proud of the boy. Still, Jack was obviously not as skilled as Dean, but he certainly made up for it in effort. There was almost despair in the way Jack moved. Both wolves were slashing into fur and skin, pushing each other around for a while. None of the by-standing shifters interrupted, which told Dean that they were at least somehow in control. Or maybe even their wolves knew that it was prohibited to interrupt an Alpha fight.

With one strong blow, Dean made Jack roll around and wince out in pain. But he regained himself fast enough and charged at Dean again, this time his claws dragged deep into Dean’s side. The smell of blood in the air only aggravated both their wolves even more.

Dean heard howling around them. But he recognised the sounds were not only coming from his own pack. His shifters growled louder and while he was still fighting off the boy, Dean noticed shadows coming out between the trees.

He sniffed and felt sure he smelled another Alpha. Worse yet, he recognised that stench.  

Lucifer.

The strange wolves were prowling forwards. His pack tried to keep them away with threatening growls, but they did not seem to be intimidated.

Dean bit into Jack’s hindleg; deep enough that the boy howled out in pain. But Dean’s wolf hardly registered it as he prepared for the killing strike. Then he heard a whine and involuntarily looked to the side to see Sam with bristled fur, baring his teeth at a black wolf who strolled over to him.

And then, suddenly, out of nowhere, Dean felt Jack’s fangs sink into his neck.

He dimly heard wolves howl out in pain and fear, others, further away, were howling out in victory.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the short chapter. Don’t hate me. I plan to update tomorrow. ;-)


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, I only made you wait one day. ;)

**THIRTEEN**

Castiel looked down at the scene in the garden from out of the ceiling-high window in the living room. His nails dug into his skin, but he didn’t really notice the pain. He was much too focused on the figure of his Mate.

Castiel had felt it the second Jack challenged Dean and had run to the window instantly. Both Cole and Crowley tried to hold him back. But he needed to watch. If he was not allowed to be outside, with the others, at least he needed to watch.

And when he finally saw Dean laying on the ground, motionless, obviously bleeding from the neck, Castiel’s heart stopped.

But he could still feel Dean in the bond, a strong and reassuring presence, even though the strings were a bit unstable since Jack had broken free. Had broken the bond between him and the pack. Castiel tried to concentrate on that feeling, the vibrant pulse of Dean, rather than on what he saw.

But the alien wolves who had started circling the scene from a distance didn’t know, couldn’t know, what Castiel felt. They relied too much on their eyes. And so, when Jack laid his head back and howled out in victory, the strangers joined in enthusiastically.

Dean was still lying on the ground; the dozen wolves around him tried to look like they were in pain, some did better than others, but the sheer excitement oozing from them certainly fit the spectacle. It must have been convincing enough for the strangers to believe the pack was without a leader, and every wolf weakened from the sudden loss of their Alpha.

After one harsh bark of a big black wolf, who had been the first to prowl forwards, the strangers attacked as one. Even from so far away, Castiel could see the wolfish smile on Lucifer’s face. Only a second later, the meadow was filled with around thirty wolves, fighting with each other for their lives.

Castiel could see Lucifer running straight up to Dean, while Azazel was attacking Sam, and Asmodeus went for Claire and Jody. Jack looked forlorn in the middle of the fighting wolves, and for a moment, Ketch just stood by the side and watched.

Castiel leaped forwards, trying to get out of the door, but he was pulled back by Cole on one shoulder and Crowley by the other.

“Wait it out, Castiel,” Cole mumbled, though Castiel could practically feel how much the alpha wanted to rush out as well and help his pack mates.

Lucifer jumped towards Dean’s lifeless body, and Castiel had to force himself not to close his eyes. The hostile Alpha wanted to make sure Dean was truly dead, and Dean let him come close. Then, finally, Castiel’s Mate jumped up just as Lucifer was right above him and threw him off with a fierce punch.

It was time for the Winchester wolves to howl out in excitement, a clear sign that their bond was far from broken.

 

>>><<< 

 

_Three days earlier_

 

“Didn’t you say you came here without anything? No money, no phone?”

Instead of answering, Jack slowly walked towards the door to the hallway, confusing Castiel even further, and then he firmly closed it and stood between him and the only way out. The omega suddenly felt trapped. Then the phone he had still in his hand suddenly started ringing, and in his surprise, Castiel let it fall back onto the bed.

“Jack? What is this about?”

Jack walked towards Castiel, still blocking the way to the door. His eyes were locked on the phone.

“Dean’s first instinct had been right, Castiel. I was sent here to take the pack.”

Castiel looked back down at the ringing phone in disbelief.

The screen read: _Lucifer calling_.

Castiel had to blink, multiple times; he could not believe his eyes and ears. He looked up at Jack and his heart nearly broke at the torn look on the boy’s face, who still stared at the phone. A minute passed, and when the phone finally stopped vibrating, Jack let out a sigh of relief. Whatever else Castiel thought of the situation, Jack had certainly not been eagerly expecting Lucifer’s call.

“Jack?”

After that one word, the young alpha broke down. He fell onto the bed and hid his face in his hands, sobbing loudly. Like a child, or someone who had lost everything.

Castiel was torn for a moment, pity and anger and confusion fighting in his chest for the upper hand, but in the end, he sat down next to Jack and hesitantly lay an arm around they boy’s shoulder. After the briefest touch, Jack turned fully towards Castiel and buried his nose in his neck, seeking comfort in the familiar scent. Unfortunately, with the name of Lucifer just reappearing in his life, and Jack’s confession only a minute earlier, Castiel’s wolf was not in the mood to allow anyone so close to his most vulnerable body part – much less the shifter who had just indicated he wanted to kill his Mate and take over the pack. Castiel pushed Jack away, gently, he hoped, but he let out a little growl in the process, not able to swallow his irritation down completely. Jack twitched back and looked at Castiel with wide eyes.

“I am so sorry, Castiel, so sorry.”

Castiel, still one arm around the boy, squeezed his shoulder reassuringly so he would not get up. Just because he did not want his fangs anywhere near his neck did not mean Castiel wanted to push Jack away completely. Not yet, anyway. First, he needed some answers.

“What exactly are you sorry for, Jack?” Suddenly the fear was back and tightened Castiel’s chest. Breathing suddenly felt difficult. Dean was away, gone to an Alpha meeting – had Jack planned an ambush with Lucifer? He had only two wolves with him, it would be easy to overwhelm Dean on the way if Lucifer knew where he was headed to. But how could he? Dean had not even told _Castiel_ where exactly the Alphas would meet up – they always kept it a secret so no one could utilise their weakness. And even if anyone did know their whereabouts, they could never guess where they would stop and rest, even if they would need a break. And if someone planned to attack the whole council, they would need a lot of back-up to kill four pack leaders and their companions. But maybe Lucifer worked with another Alpha? Dean had never seemed to fully trust Samuel, not like he trusted the others. But then Lucifer wouldn’t have needed Jack for the whole scheme, would he?

“I … I don’t know what to do. Maybe Dean should have killed me on that first day.”

Castiel forced himself to calm down. That certainly were not the words of a man planning to murder his Mate.

“Why don’t you start from the beginning? Lucifer sent you here? So you didn’t break the bond yourself?”

Jack nodded, then he shook his head, but Castiel wasn’t sure if he was confused about the question or just needed to clear his thoughts. “No, I did break it. What I said was all true, you know, the story with Maggie. And I ran away… but then… they caught me. Lucifer and Azazel. I didn’t have any chance against the two of them.”

Castiel silently agreed. “And then? What happened?”

“They had cornered me, and Lucifer seemed really angry, but also… disappointed, I guess. But he got over that quickly. He mocked me, and asked me what I had planned to do anyway. Without a pack. He said that I would be helpless on my own, that my wolf would snap within a week. And then I… I told him I would go find you. I had not even thought about it before. You know, I had not planned to break the bond; it all just happened so fast and that was the first idea that came to my mind. Lucifer laughed at me at first, but then he suddenly became all quiet. He smiled that creepy smile of his; you remember it?” Castiel nodded even though Jack did not look his way but at his clasped hands. “Then he offered me a deal.”

Castiel had a fair idea where this was going, but he still asked: “What kind of deal?”

“He said I…,” Jack swallowed, hard, “He said he would let me go find you, would even tell me exactly where you are, if I did him one favour. You know how he had always said the Winchesters were a horrible pack, right? And I believed that. I believed that they would certainly mistreat you, just like Lucifer had done. So, when he asked of me to try to get Dean to accept me into the pack,” Jack paused and then rushed over the next words so fast they were almost unintelligible: “and then kill him, I did not think it was all that bad. Especially because… Lucifer said he would then take over, and that I could leave. With you. Or that we could both stay with him, and he would not allow anyone to treat you badly ever again. He seemed almost desperate to get me to come back on my own free will, making all kinds of promises.” Jack licked his lips. “Anyway, he said we would both win. He would get rid of a vicious rival, and I would have you back in freedom. But I did not believe this plan could ever work, I was sure Dean would kill me the moment he saw me, just for walking into his territory uninvited. But Lucifer said Dean had a soft spot for runaways. He also said I should stick close to Sam, that Sam would try to convince his brother to take me in. Eventually.” He frowned. “I don’t think Lucifer assumed you had any form of impact on Dean.”

If Lucifer had not known – and how could he – that Castiel was Dean’s Mate, he probably thought the Alpha might still be suspicious of him. He would not have been the best advocate for Jack. But he had anticipated Sam’s reaction accurately; that the beta would have been reminded of his own story and take pity on Jack.

“I was really surprised when Dean allowed me to stay, even if not as pack. But … then I got so confused. I had envisioned Dean as some kind of monster in my mind, and I was scared of him.” Castiel could see that – Dean had not been overly friendly to Jack in the beginning, add to that a few horrible stories from Lucifer, and what you got was a kid who would believe Dean was the devil himself. “But still. I could see how happy you were. Everyone in this pack seems to be content to be here. And Dean was treating his shifters fairly, especially you. And I slowly realised that you would not want to come with me; moreover, you would hate me if I hurt Dean. And he has never… he has never done anything to me. I mean, he can be scary as hell, but Dean never hurt me, not even once.”

Castiel thought about Lucifer’s plan for a moment. Maybe it would have worked. Maybe Castiel would have been so unhappy with Chuck just pushing him into another pack, he would have turned bitter. Maybe Dean would have treated Jack a lot more hostile since he would obviously distrust any alpha coming from Lucifer’s pack. And maybe, after a while, Sam would still have been able to convince him to take Jack in – in remembrance of his own fate. But that plan also meant that Lucifer did not know the Winchester pack as well as he thought. Even if Dean was not his Mate, Castiel would have been content here, happy. Dean was not the only reason he liked this pack. Other relationships were equally important to him. He had felt honest affection for Kevin and Charlie since his first day; and Sam, of course. He enjoyed being allowed to work in his old job again, as much as he enjoyed the chaotic dinners with whomever was currently in the house. He liked how everyone hunted together and that there was no hierarchy, apart from the leadership of Three.

And Dean, abrasive as he could be, would have always treated Castiel fairly. And he would have never hurt Jack without provocation.

“And then I finally became pack.” Jack rubbed his hands over his face, then he looked back at Castiel. “I could never hurt anyone of my new family. You know that, right?”

Castiel wanted to believe him, but he could not help being suspicious. He had just seen for himself that their old Alpha had tried to call Jack, and it still hurt that his friend had hidden something so important from him. For months.

“How often have you talked to Lucifer since you arrived?”

“Just once; he had called me after I got claimed. I said I needed more time. I lied; told him that Dean did not trust me yet. He said he would give me another couple of weeks, but then I would need to act. He offered that we could make a plan together. He seems to think that there is someone else here who will help me. That I should approach him, or her, when I am ready.”

“Who?” Castiel asked sharply. He did not like the thought that they might have a traitor in their midst.

Jack just shook his head. “I don’t know. Like I said, Lucifer had not talked to me again. He just started calling today. This was his third attempt. I thought… I thought I would just ignore him. Kill the phone and throw it away… until he gives up.

Castiel highly doubted that. Lucifer would just double his efforts to get in touch with Jack, and he would probably never stop his attempts to take over the Winchester pack.

“Why haven’t you said anything earlier? I thought you trusted me.”

“I betrayed you, Cas. All of you. I just didn’t… I didn’t know what to say! Or how. Dean had been suspicious of me from the beginning. If I told him Lucifer did sent me here, I feared… I feared I would lose… everything. Best case, he would just throw me out again. And I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to stay here and pretend my old life did not exist. You all have been so kind to me – and I betrayed you!”

“You should have been more open, Jack, but you did not betray anyone, not yet. Not if what you say is true.” Castiel hoped Dean would see it the same way, although he was not entirely sure. There was a lot of hate between him and Lucifer, and he had been reluctant to trust Jack in the first place. “You just came here under false pretences. I did, too. You know, I was ready to hate this pack when Chuck sent me here. I learned better. And so did you.”

Jack started sobbing again, like he could not believe Castiel would forgive him so easily. The omega let him regain his posture before he addressed what he knew would put a dampener on Jack’s mood again.

“We have to tell Dean.”

Unsurprisingly, Jack looked at Castiel in horror. “He’s going to kill me.” The words were hardly more than a whisper.

“No, he won’t,” Castiel said, confident it was the truth. However, he did not bother to mention that Dean would certainly be far from happy.

Castiel wanted to get up, to get his phone from upstairs to call Dean right away. But Jack held him back. The young man looked at his own phone on the bed like it was some sort of monster.

“There is something else, Castiel.” Jack took a deep breath. “Lucifer said he is my father.” He looked at Castiel pleadingly. “But that can’t be true, can it? Wolves can’t have children.”

“No, they can’t, Jack. Lucifer is just getting crazy. More than he already was.”

Castiel’s voice had probably sounded too calm and collected, his reply too ready. Jack’s eyes widened. “You knew already! You knew he thinks he’s my dad!”

Castiel nodded. “I heard some rumours while I was still in his pack.” Jack opened his mouth but Castiel answered his question before he had time to ask. “Dean knows too, so does Sam and some others of this pack. But neither of them believes it’s true. Gabriel thinks it’s impossible, even for one of the First.”

Castiel was prepared to be yelled at some more, but Jack just slumped his shoulders. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because we thought you already had enough on your plate. Being a young wolf, stronger than is good for you, between packs… and we, or I, did not really think it matters.”

“So you don’t believe I am his son? Truly?”

“I believe that it’s not important. You’re a good kid, Jack, no matter who your biological father is. Your mom raised you well, and even as a werewolf, you have the same morals you had before.”

Jack seemed not completely happy with his answer; he probably would have preferred if Castiel had explained to him that it was absolutely and 100 percent impossible for any wolf to sire children. But Castiel simply did not know for sure – what he did know, was that he didn’t care.

He finally stood up and opened the door to get his phone. But he stumbled back in surprise and had to supress an embarrassing yelp. Outside the door, in the dark hallway, waited half a dozen wolves, looking expectantly at him. Charlie and Kevin got up from a cowering position on the floor. Rowena, Crowley, and Cesar formed a half circle around the door, while Ketch leaned on the wall a few feet away.

“What’s going on?”

“What’s going on?” Crowley repeated in a mocking tone. “What’s going on is that you have sent a wave of fear through the bond half an hour ago. At least to those of us who were close enough. Our mighty Alpha has called me three times already. I promised him I would look after you, and if something goes wrong, he will have _my_ head on a plate.”

“But then you calmed down again, and I thought, whatever was happening, we should give you and Jack time and space to figure it all out.” Charlie, bless her heart, chirped in. “So we sent the others away and waited here until you were finished.”

“What she means is we’ve been standing here like some dimwits, who have nothing better to do, for the last forty minutes.”

Castiel ignored Rowena as his eyes fell on Ketch. He looked to the floor, almost like he was ashamed, which was not exactly a common look on the ruthless alpha. Following his instincts for the second time that night, Castiel pushed in on him through the pack bonds. Ketch met his eyes in surprise and tried to brace himself – but Castiel had already felt it; the guilt.

His wolf let out an angry growl as he stared the tall alpha down. “How long have you been working with Lucifer?”

Ketch stumbled back like Castiel had slapped him in the face, but he did not get very far, because Crowley, in a surprising show of speed and strength, had already pushed Ketch to the wall, his face pressed against the cold stone.

“What?” Crowley asked in a low tone. It sounded a lot more dangerous than the alpha’s usual shouting fits.

The other wolves just watched with wide eyes. Jack had come to the doorframe, looking scared as hell, and Kevin had moved towards him, an arm around his waist like he was steadying a wounded man, which was exactly what Jack looked like at the moment. Drained and pale.

Castiel took a few steps towards Ketch. “When has Lucifer approached you?”

“Shortly after the pup came to us.” Ketch glanced quickly at Jack, and Castiel was surprised that he had not tried to deny anything.

“And you two planned together how you would help Jack to kill Dean?”

Castiel had not thought about his words. He only noticed he had revealed more than he had intended when he heard a loud intake of breath, and a growl. He looked over his shoulder and saw Charlie, Rowena and Cesar staring at Jack in disgust and stepping deliberately away from him. Crowley still held Ketch to the wall in a tight grip, seemingly unfazed by the revelations around him. Only Kevin stood by Jack like nothing had happened, arm still around him, and Castiel was deeply grateful the omega was here.

“Jack?” Charlie asked hesitantly at the same time as Ketch yelled “No!” He looked sincerely surprised at Castiel’s last accusation. “Lucifer said he was angry that he had lost both you and the pup to Dean’s pack.” Ketch swallowed, and this time it reached his scent: the guilt. “He insinuated he wanted revenge. And that anyone who might help him would be rewarded with a high position in his new pack.”

“And you believed that bastard? You agreed to kill our Alpha so Lucifer would make you Third in his new pack?” Rowena spat at him.

“No! No, I did not agree to anything.”

“But you did not definitely deny him either.” Castiel was surprised how calm his voice sounded.

Ketch closed his eyes and nodded. “I told him I would think about it. Nothing more, I swear. I did not know the pup is on his side, if what you say is true, and I did not agree to anything. He has not approached me since. Moreover _, I_ would not have talked to him again.”

“But you had not told any of us about it either.”

“Dean already mistrusts me more than any of you. And I have not done anything wrong; I only talked to someone outside of the pack territory. Nothing more. But if Dean knew I met with Lucifer, he would have never completely trusted me.”

“You do see that your actions just proofed he is right?” Charlie looked at Ketch with an expression like her heart just broke. Castiel knew those two shared an unlikely friendship, and after the heartache of Charlie’s breakup with Dorothy, their relationship had only deepened. Ketch looked at Charlie with an equal expression of despair.

“Charlie, I…”

But she just shook her head. “I can’t even look at you right now.”

Ketch’s jaw tightened and he looked at Crowley, who still held him with enough force that it must certainly hurt. “So, what are you going to do with me now?”

To his surprise, Crowley turned his head towards Castiel and raised his eyebrow in a silent question. The omega looked at Rowena and Cesar.

“Will you accompany Ketch to one of the guestrooms and make sure he doesn’t leave?”

Cesar wordlessly took Ketch from Crowley, but Rowena grumbled the whole way: “Of course. Have all the important conversations without little old me. What do I matter anyway? I’m only good enough to play prison guard, apparently.”

Crowley rolled his eyes, but then he sighed dramatically as his phone rang. He showed the screen to Castiel. It was Dean. Castiel took the phone and pushed the green button.

“Dean?”

“Cas! Fucking Hell! What is going on? I have tried to call you for an hour.”

 

They had all sat down in Jack’s room, with the phone on speaker so Castiel would only have to explain things once. Kevin sat down next to the young alpha, and Castiel could not have been more grateful that the omega had been among the group waiting in front of the door. Charlie hugged herself and looked a little lost. Crowley refused to sit down and kept glancing at the newest pack member in open hostility.

With a little help from Jack, who still looked scared, Castiel brought Dean up to date. He explained everything he had heard from Jack as well as the little dispute with Ketch moments ago. To his utter relief, Dean seemed to concentrate his anger on Ketch, and seemed somewhat understanding for Jack’s position.

“But at least nothing has happened. Jack belongs to us now,” Castiel ended. “We can just throw away his old phone and ignore Lucifer.”

“No. This is a chance too good to waste,” Crowley said. “He will try again anyway. At least, this way we know exactly what’s coming.”

“Yes,” Dean agreed. “We should get rid of Lucifer once and for all.”

And so they made a plan to defeat Lucifer. By making him believe he had defeated Dean.

 

>>><<< 

 

Castiel thought they had been insane to come up with that plan as he watched the fierce battle in front of him. More Winchester wolves had come out of the dark as well as more strangers, but this time they were not from Lucifer’s pack but from Anna’s and Billy’s, who had volunteered to help. But it was still a gory fight. Lucifer and his minions soon recovered from the shock that Dean was not dead, that his pack members were not suddenly unclaimed. That they were not weakened.

But the fight was not as quick and one-sided as it should have been. Lucifer’s pack did not stand a chance of winning, but still, he did not seem to want to retreat and they could kill a lot of Castiel’s friends before it was over.

Dean had almost managed to rip into Lucifer’s throat when two other wolves had jumped on him. Obviously, the pack of the First did not believe in a fair fight between two Alphas.

Castiel could make out how Lucifer shot Jack an angry glare to the other side of the meadow, probably guessing by now that his alleged son had been working together with the Winchesters to bring him down. Castiel would not have thought he put two and two together so quickly.

Castiel tried to make another step towards the glass door, but Cole’s grip was tight, probably more forceful because of his own stress to hold back. Even though Cole was one of their strongest alphas, Castiel also knew he was not the most stable.

The omega cursed himself for agreeing to Dean’s stupid plan. He was no child, and yet the Alpha had told him to stay behind like one. So he would not be distracted by having to worry over Castiel. Stupid alpha with his stupid protectiveness. Anyone out there could get hurt, and it was not fair of Dean to expect him to hide out. No matter what he thought about Castiel not having enough training or experience. After all, he had allowed _Jack_ to play a major part in their scheme – and Castiel was certainly just as capable as the young alpha.

And _he_ had been the one to find out about Lucifer’s plan in the first place. He had even supported Dean with the idea of finishing him off once and for all, even though he might have preferred to just ignore Lucifer and hope he would not try anything for the next decade or so.

Azazel and Asmodeus were still trying to get Dean down – even when _Jack_ had not managed to kill him, if the Alpha would end up dead, by any claw or fang, the whole Winchester pack would be weakened in an instant. And then, maybe, Lucifer’s pack would be able to turn the tables.

As he saw his pack attacked, Castiel got furious. He was the Alpha’s Mate – he should not stay inside and wait the fight out. He should be there and try to do as much for his pack as possible. If Dean died, they could get claimed. Castiel shivered at the thought that Lucifer might claim one of his friends, like Charlie, who was so different from most alphas and would not handle Lucifer’s preference of violence well, or Kevin, who had already suffered enough from a cruel Alpha.

Just as he thought about him, Castiel saw someone attack Kevin – and then Ketch came out of nowhere, getting the blow instead of the omega. Obviously, he _was_ on their side, like he had promised. Both Dean and Castiel had been wary to trust Ketch to play a part in their plot – but he was necessary for Lucifer to believe that no one noticed his pack to arrive in the Winchester territory. So Ketch had played double agent for the last couple of days. He had been the wild card in their game since neither Dean nor Sam or Crowley had been sure if he would not just rat them out to Lucifer.

Right now, the alpha fell to the ground with a low cry. But at least he had bought Kevin enough time to recover and bite into his attacker’s hindleg, and the omega was soon joined by Charlie, who tried to help him. But she was pushed to the ground with a strong paw. Her howl echoed through the whole forest, as well as the cries and growls of all the other shifters in their own fights. Ketch, obviously hurt, stumbled to his feet again, and clawed into the wolf’s side before he could lurch at Charlie again. After some quarrelling, both wolves fell to the floor, motionless. Castiel could not say if either had survived the fight, but Charlie was by Ketch’s side and frantically licked over his bleeding stomach, seemingly ignorant of the ongoing battle.

Castiel felt his anger rise as he watched his pack, his family, get attacked by his former Alpha. Dean was still in a battle with Azazel, and Castiel felt his nails grow in fury. He hardly managed to look away, until he noticed how Lucifer slowly prowled towards Jack.

Jack, who had finally told them the truth a few days ago. Who had admitted to Castiel that he had come here on Lucifer’s orders. Who had agreed to his plan because he had wanted to run away and start a new life with Castiel – though Castiel highly doubted the vicious Alpha would have truly let them just leave, not when he still had to punish Castiel, and believed Jack was his only son.

But tonight, Jack had risked his life to help his new family.

When Lucifer had reached Jack, Castiel’s fury exploded. Even from the distance, he could see that there was nothing fatherly left in the way Lucifer looked at the wolf he believed to be his flesh and blood. He jumped at him and Jack cried out as he made it barely away and Lucifer’s fangs only landed in one of his shoulders instead of his throat. And it would not have been one of the gentle nips Dean had given him a few minutes ago, in their pretend fight.

And finally, with newfound power, Castiel pulled at the bond and in a sudden uproar of strength, he managed to shove Cole back as well as Crowley, both in mind and body, and chased outside, directly towards Jack and Lucifer. Without even looking back at his guards. Castiel ignored all the other wolves, tried to ignore Dean still battling with two of Lucifer’s strongest alphas. He growled and charged at Lucifer. Suddenly, there was Sam at his side as well as Jack, back on his feet.

Lucifer cackled, a sound that turned even more creepy as he shifted into human form: “Oh, Jack, the life I could have given you. You know, I am very disappointed in you. But I will still give you a chance to accept your place as my son, rule next to me over the most powerful pack on earth. I’m all the family you got left, boy.”

Unable to answer in wolf form, Jack only charged at Lucifer, instead of giving him an answer. But with inhuman strength, the Alpha held Jack down with a strong hand, and snarled at Castiel and Sam.

“So, I see you finally found someone you gladly spread your legs for, Castiel. I can hardly wait until I show you what a real Alpha feels like.” He turned to Sam. “And you, Sammy? Still living in your brother’s shadow? Not strong enough, not dominant enough, and as gullible as ever. You still cry over your lost girlfriend who never loved you?” He smirked. “Is this the best the Winchester pack has to offer in a fight against me? One scared pup, one insecure beta who likes to hide behind his brother – and one useless omega?”

In retrospect, Castiel would not be able to tell who had landed the killing strike. He, Sam and Jack charged at Lucifer at the same time. He had hardly the chance to change into his black wolf again while all three of them were clawing and biting at the Alpha’s body, until he was no longer able to fight them off. Lucifer honestly seemed surprised that, together, they were stronger than him.

And eventually, his body lay lifeless on the cold and damp grass.

“I have a family. I am a Winchester now,” Jack whispered, hunched down next to Lucifer.

Castiel turned his head to the side and could see Asmodeus’ dead body while Dean was still having his teeth in Azazel’s neck. His Alpha looked dangerous, different than Castiel had seen him before, somehow bigger and more ferocious, a red gleam in his eyes that seemed to come neither from the man nor the wolf. When Dean looked up and right at Castiel, he had a feeling he was staring at the pure Alpha inside of Dean. It sent a shiver down Castiel’s back.

With Lucifer and his strongest wolves dead, the whole fight was soon over. There were a lot of lifeless bodies on the ground, a few others limped towards the forest. Castiel reached for the pack bond and was relieved when he noticed everyone in his family was alive, even if some were hurt or struggling with their wolves. But soon enough, everyone changed into human form, which was a sure sign that they were in control.

There was only one who was holding on to life only by a thread. It had been one of the most vicious fighters on their side. The pain was almost getting too much for him and everyone around eyed him suspiciously; clearly, he was just a second away from either dying of his wounds, or losing a battle to his wolf. Only Charlie rested at his side, seemingly unafraid, stroking over his chest, dark from blood.

Castiel walked towards the pair. He lightly brushed a hand over Ketch’s head, and to his relief, the man quickly turned into his human form as well. Everyone in their proximity let out a sigh. Castiel had learned a long while ago that nothing was scarier to the shifters in this pack than having a wolf snap through the human half. Not even death.

Ketch only looked at his friend. He coughed up blood, but managed to whisper: “I’m so sorry I let you down, Charlie. I’m really sorry.”

Charlie had tears in her eyes and Castiel felt like he was intruding on a very personal moment while he was still kneeling at the man’s other side. He knew that Charlie had not talked to Ketch since the scene in the hallway, and he also knew it had broken her heart. She had been betrayed by a friend, not only a pack member. It was one of the things Castiel liked so much about the Winchesters: Even though not everyone had found a Mate, there was still a lot of love to go around. Friendship and family were as valuable to them as a romantic partnership.

“Hush,” Charlie whispered. “You need to rest, Arthur. So you have your strength back when I yell at you. I can’t chew out an invalid, you know, it makes me look petty.”

Ketch chuckled, and then coughed out another fit of blood. Castiel looked down at him in worry. But before he could say anything, he felt a hand tuck on his shirt, so he got up. He was not surprised to see Dean there, staring down at Ketch. The look in his eyes was not forgiving, and Castiel feared he might end Ketch off himself. But instead, he felt Dean call on someone through the bond, and a second later, Alex was there, Cesar and Jody in tow.

“Take care of him first,” Dean’s voice sounded like a growl, still more wolf than human, no matter how he looked. “He’s in the worst condition.”

Alex only nodded, and went to work. Dean turned around, but Ketch managed to grab one of his legs, to hold him back.

“Let them tend to the others; we both know there is no use in looking after me first.”

Dean looked at the hand until Ketch let go of him, then he met the bleeding man’s eyes: “You’re not lost yet. Fight, and you will get better. Then we talk. Like Charlie, I don’t enjoy yelling at someone on his deathbed.”

For Dean, that sounded pretty conciliatorily.

The Alpha turned around, pulling Castiel with him, until he was satisfied they had gone away enough to have some sort of privacy. Then Dean closed Castiel wordlessly into his arms, burying his face into Castiel’s neck. He nipped into the soft skin, not too gentle, but almost desperate. The omega’s feet gave out, finally overwhelmed with the events of the night, and Dean only tightened his hold on him. They drank in each other’s scent for long moments.

“I told you to stay inside,” Dean said, but there was no force behind his words.

“I cannot stay behind while the rest of you risk your lives, Dean.”

“Yeah, I know,” Dean replied instead of starting an argument. “I know I won’t be able to get away with that anymore.” He glared at some point in the meadow. Castiel was pretty sure where, but he did not want to look at he body parts himself. “Especially not after you helped bring down Lucifer yourself. But I might hold a grudge against you about that for another while. You know, because you have not waited for me to finish him off.”

“Well, it’s not my fault that you were too busy fighting with both of Lucifer’s strongest alphas.” Castiel enjoyed the little smirk on Dean’s face, enjoyed that they were able to tease each other just after such a gruesome fight.

Then someone cleared his throat right behind them. It was Sam, in human form. He pointedly looked down where a brown wolf stood a few feet behind him. The animal looked miserable, cowered in on himself, tail tugged between his legs.

“Jack?” Castiel asked, even though he could see the wolf’s attention was solely fixed on Dean. The Alpha stepped forwards and reached a hand out to Jack, but the wolf only bowed his head and whined.

A second later, Dean had changed back into wolf form and stepped closer to Jack. He nudged his nose gently against Jack’s neck and the pup bared to Dean imminently, but he seemed unsure what Dean would do next. But he didn’t need to worry, as Dean reclaimed the young man without hesitation. But Jack still whined out pathetically, shame engraved in his whole body posture. It took a while until he relaxed, but Dean kept rubbing his head over Jack’s, licking his ear and nuzzling his side until Jack finally fell to the ground, exposing his belly to Dean, inviting him to spread his scent all over him. And Dean seemed happy to do just that. Castiel’s heart warmed at the sight of the two wolves cuddling in the grass, especially when Jack started to lick over the wound on Dean’s neck; the one he had inflicted himself. It was not the worst cut or scratch on Dean’s body as far as Castiel could see, but it was obvious that Jack felt guilty.

After some quiet minutes, Dean finally turned back to human form, and this time, Jack followed suit.

The boy still looked desperate and did not dare to get up, and so Dean just knelt beside him and hugged the young man.

“I’m so sorry, Dean. I betrayed you. I’m so sorry.”

“Hey, stop that. You didn’t betray us. You helped us defeat an old enemy. You were very brave today, kid. To break the bond, to stage that fight – honestly, I didn’t believe Lucifer would fall for it.” Castiel huffed; just yesterday Dean had assured him his plan could not possibly go wrong. “But you made it work. Any now, everyone is safe. No one hast to be afraid od Lucifer anymore. It all worked out perfectly.”

Castiel smiled as he watched the two men hugging, and then his eyes shifted to the few wolves in Lucifer’s pack who were still alive and had already surrendered. He saw some of Anna’s and Billy’s shifters talking to Crowley who seemingly hat taken charge for the moment. There was Cole who watched a wounded Jesse almost enviously – Castiel had no doubt he would be grumpy for a while that he had not been allowed to fight, but had been assigned to the ungrateful task of babysitting the Alpha’s Mate. Castiel would, too. And Jack and Dean were by far not the only ones who hugged or reassured each other with gentle touches.

Dean was right; it had all worked out surprisingly well.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See, I’m not a horrible person. ;) 
> 
> Only one short (!) epilogue-like chapter left. It might take a little longer than usual, because I will be away from home for a week. (All work, no play.)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that little wrap-up took so long – but since I didn’t leave you with any form of cliffhanger last time, I don’t feel too bad about it. The story didn’t really need this chapter anyway. ;)

**FOURTEEN**

 

It took about four weeks until things were finally starting to calm down in the Winchester Pack. There were no body parts to be found on the meadow behind the house anymore, even though Castiel could swear he still smelled blood and adrenaline for another month, whenever he walked towards the forest. But he could not say if it was just his imagination, or if the stench had really lingered that long. It certainly took another while before Castiel could enjoy a run through the woods without looking over his shoulder.

The local police had been informed about the ---- fight? Massacre? Attack? But since only werewolves had been involved in the _incident_ , it was not of their concern anyway. Everyone knew that werewolves lived by their own rules, and as long as no humans got hurt, they would be left to their own understanding of justice. Humans never got involved in the politics of the werewolf world. But even so, Castiel was marvelled that the people of their city seemed to be surprisingly underwhelmed by the whole affair. He had assumed that they would be scared, or at least reluctant, for some time, towards their local wolves – after two dozen shifters had been found dead near the pack quarters. But since the strangers had come to their territory, everyone seemed to believe that the Winchesters had only defended themselves after they had been attacked without further provocation – and as much as the werewolves liked to keep pack life secret, even the most ignorant humans knew that shifters were very proprietorial of their lands, and did not tolerate any strange wolves to pass through. Much less a whole pack. So, obviously, the stranger’s intentions couldn’t have been good. It probably also helped that some wolves, like Jody, had worked in the police force for decades, which made the communication a lot easier than it might have been otherwise. And of course, Crowley had managed to let only the right kind of information seep through to the press, the kind that painted a repugnant – but still realistic – picture of the attacking wolves. Castiel had seen various headlines about the brave shifters who had defended their home against the evil sort of werewolves. And there had been once again much speculation as to who might be the local pack Alpha. Crowley still seemed to be most people’s first guess. But Jody obviously had climbed up in the rankings and made a close second – to her dismay. Dean still got hardly mentioned, which puzzled Castiel because it was so obvious to every _wolf_ that Dean was Alpha. Humans seemed to be easily blinded by money or a prestigious profession. But whoever they believed leaded the pack, most people seemed to agree it had been their right to defend their territory against the intruders.

But not only the humans were oddly nonchalant about the blood bath near their city; the Father of Wolves seemed even less bothered by it. Castiel knew that Dean had feared he would need to argue with Chuck for a long while about the near elimination of a whole pack, so everyone had been surprised when he had been satisfied with just a short summary over the phone. Dean had reported that he had sounded curt, even sad, but did not question him further. It was not like the Winchesters had broken any laws, but with one of the First dead, everyone had expected Chuck to treat this case with more care than any other fight. Because as fights go, it _was_ pretty epic.

Even when pack life was mostly back to normal, there were still more whispers and rumours going around than usual. The stories of the battle had been exaggerated over the weeks and somewhat altered, like it often happened when something dramatic took place. But the core of the stories usually was true enough; even though Lucifer’s wolf had not actually been eight feet tall, nor had any of the Winchester wolves suddenly developed new super powers. At least none other than any shifter already possessed.

It was obvious that Dean, who had always been respected and admired, was suddenly in even higher regards. Both because of his dramatic fight with Azazel and Asmodeus – Castiel still shivered when he thought back to the moment his Mate had been attacked by Lucifer’s strongest alphas – as much as his willingness to put himself in a vulnerable position. Because the plan of luring Lucifer in with a little deception had not been received too optimistic by most of the pack members. Not all had trusted Ketch or Jack, who could have easily turned everything around if they had in fact been on Lucifer’s side. Jack might even have killed Dean, easily, while the Alpha believed they would simply try to fool Lucifer.

But Dean was not the only one who was met with newfound admiration from the whole pack. Castiel seemed to have developed a new hero status as well, just like Jack and Sam. The omega thought the other’s excitement was a bit ridiculous as it had been three against one, but even Crowley seemed to be impressed. In any case, Castiel was glad that he had managed to run from his guards and right into the fight, because otherwise, his pack might think that he would let other’s do the fighting and avoid danger himself. That he was just the Alpha’s Mate who needed protection, and not a force of his own. His active role in Lucifer’s death had made sure that no one believed he was the type to hide under his bed when things got tough.

And he was glad that they had done this together; that at last, Lucifer had to realise that three supposedly weaker wolves could win against him. He enjoyed the thought that the three wolves, who had suffered most from him, had defeated him in the end. Even though Castiel was not a fan of revenge, he had to admit he felt somehow liberated. But maybe that was only because he didn’t have to fear Lucifer would sneak his way back into their lives once more. But Castiel thought it had been even more important to Sam than to him, and he was glad that his friend had finally gotten some sort of closure. Looking back, there was just one thing he would have liked went differently.

Even though Jack’s part in Lucifer’s death meant that no one thought he was the enemy anymore, Castiel still would have wished for the boy to have stayed out of the fight. At least after his ruse with Dean. Jack was young, and had never shown any enthusiasm for fighting. And for all they knew, he might still have killed his _father_. Castiel knew that Jack had let go of that thought, had not even tried to ask Chuck about it, but there must still be some doubt in the kid. And even if Lucifer had just been some unrelated monster, Castiel would not have wanted Jack to be involved in his death. It was the first time the boy had taken someone’s life – hell, it was the first time _Castiel_ had killed someone – and Castiel wished he never had to do this ever again. Neither of them.

The few wolves of Lucifer’s pack who had survived, had either capitulated and even offered their necks to be claimed – Billy had taken both Anael and Tessa – or fled into the forest. Dean and the other Alphas had allowed them to escape, believing that they were too weak on their own to pose any sort of threat in the foreseeable future. From what they had found out by now, Abaddon, one of Lucifer’s former alphas, was currently the leader of the remaining pack, but it was impossible to know yet how successful she would be. A change of leadership was usually followed by years of infighting.

Two days after the battle, Gabriel had visited the Winchesters, to collect the body of his _brother_ , as he had called Lucifer. Castiel had seen Gabriel for the first time and he had to admit, even though the short man could be frustrating, he was the most likeable of the First he had met so far. And he did not seem to hold a grudge that the Winchesters had killed his _brother_ , even though he seemed to honestly mourn his death, and had not offered to come to Dean’s help. But he had not warned Lucifer either. Castiel imagined that in the thousand years they had walked the earth together, Gabriel must have garnered at least some fond memories – or maybe his strange mood just came from the fact that he had been reminded that even the most powerful of shifters could die one day.

Dean had invited Gabriel and his companions to stay for a few days, but in the end, Gabriel left as soon as his conversation with Dean was over and the body parts of Lucifer had been loaded into his truck, obviously irritable in a strange territory. Just like Billy and Anna’s wolves had left shortly after the fight. They had hardly stayed for some food and a night of rest, feeling oddly unwelcome in the unknown territory.

Castiel would have assumed that the fight would leave the pack bond in chaos for some while, but the Winchesters did not have too many problems getting back in order. Most even seemed to have enjoyed the fighting, even though Castiel could not fully comprehend why. He had talked to Dean about it, but the Alpha had only laughed at him and proclaimed that maybe an omega could never really understand the thrill of a good fight. Castiel was not amused by that remark. He did not think it had anything to do with his second gender, but he could well live without another battle for the next century or so. Same counted for Charlie, and she was an alpha, like Castiel had pointed out to Dean. While Jody, another omega, always seemed to enjoy a little challenge. Castiel had not liked stereotypes while he had been fully human, and he had not changed his mind since he became a werewolf. Sometimes, he felt like Dean needed to be reminded of that fact.

Three months after the big fight, Castiel stood at the tall window in the living room and looked towards the meadow, just like he had done that night. When Dean had fallen to the ground with a bleeding neck. But this time, what he saw put a smile on his face: It was a warm evening in autumn, and most of his shifters were outside. Some were playing soccer, others trained combat moves while a few lay on the ground in wolf form and enjoyed the warmth of the sun on their fur, like Jesse and Cesar, cuddled together. And instead of the harsh grip of Crowley and Cole’s hands on his shoulders, Castiel felt his Mate sneak up from behind, curling his arms around him, pulling Castiel’s back against Dean’s warm chest.

“Hey, baby,” Dean whispered into his ear, and Castiel’s smile widened as he melted into the other man’s body. He felt his Mate’s contentment drum through their bond, as much as his pride as he watched their pack in silence.

A feeling that Castiel shared whole-heartedly. He had settled in nicely by now and gotten used to his position as the Alpha’s Mate. He was not the leader of the pack, not their Alpha or anything like that, but he was a valued advisor, for Dean as much as the rest of their family. And Castiel was quite content in his role. He did not need to be involved in every little affair – if he was completely honest, he did not envy Dean, who had to make decisions for the whole pack on a daily basis, and who was often grumpy because of it – but he knew there would never happen anything important without him knowing about it. And he was convinced Dean would always turn to him whenever he was unsure, or even upset.

Not that the Alpha had much of a choice. With their mating bond, Castiel knew easily when something troubled Dean, and he had long ago made sure that Dean understood he was not a fan of the Alpha’s tendency to just sulk alone or let his worries eat him up. With a few gentle nudges, he had even gotten Dean to talk about his past in Alastair’s pack occasionally. Those conversations usually happened after Dean had woken up in the middle of the night, his whole body covered in cold sweat, shaking. Castiel’s wolf was satisfied that his Mate had ripped the vicious Alpha to pieces decades ago – and also a little disappointed. He would have liked to taste Alastair’s blood himself. Castiel should have been appalled by his wolf’s thoughts, but like most of the time, he only agreed with him.

Maybe that was the reason why Dean was still a little miffed that he had not gotten the chance to fight Lucifer himself. Maybe he had not only wanted to kill an old enemy, but also felt the need to avenge those in his care. Like Castiel, or Sam. Even Jack. Dean was very protective over his wolves. It was something that pleased Castiel as much as it annoyed him sometimes – and he knew quite a few others who shared that feeling. But in the end, no one in the Winchester pack would have Dean any other way.

Castiel smiled as Dean brushed his lips over his nape, brief and light, hardly noticeable. Then Dean let out a low, rumbling chuckle, and Castiel turned his head a little to watch Kevin tackle Jack to the ground, a ball rolling out between their feet. Just two weeks ago, the two young men had both started at university together; different majors, different classes and schedules, but they left the house at the same time and returned home together every day. They seemed to have gotten even closer than they had been before; so much so that Castiel sometimes watched them with something close to suspicion. He had once tried to talk to Dean about it, but his Alpha had only shrugged and said: “Jack’s still a pup, Cas. Both his wolf and his human side. Leave them be, for now.” Castiel did not really know what to make of that. But he had the daunting feeling that Dean understood something he did not.

An angry cry made Castiel look away from the group of soccer players and to the figures who were training in hand-to-hand combat.

As easily as the pack had accepted Jack as one of their own after Lucifer’s death, Ketch had had a lot more trouble to regain their trust. He had healed up astonishingly fast, and to everyone’s surprise, Dean had not thrown him out. But it was clear that there would be a lot more time needed before he would be completely forgiven. And Castiel had to agree. He might not have made any plans with Lucifer, might even have played a significant role in deceiving him, but the fact that Ketch had met with their enemy without telling his Alpha about it was a clear indication that he would always look out for himself first. Crowley seemed to share Dean’s reluctance – and with the Alpha and the Third eying him up suspiciously from time to time, the rest of the pack treated Ketch a little abrasive as well. Sam seemed to be more forgiving, but Castiel did not know if that had anything to do with Ketch, or if it was just a difference between Sam and Dean’s personalities.

Still, Castiel was surprised that Dean had allowed Ketch to stay when he seemed far from happy about it. Dean did not treat him openly hostile, he even touched him occasionally, like the Alpha did with all his wolves, but he never sought him out specifically, never tried to give him another meaningful task after he had recovered from his wounds. One day, Castiel had asked Dean about the way he acted around Ketch.

“If you don’t want him here, why did you let him stay in the first place? Why not throw him out?”

Dean had looked at him in surprise, then his eyes narrowed. “You don’t want him here? You think we should get rid of him?”

The question hung in the air for a moment; Castiel really had to think about his answer. Dean’s tone made it obvious that if Castiel said _yes_ , he would not hesitate to send Ketch on his way, no matter what he thought about the affair himself. But Castiel shook his head. He believed Ketch deserved a second chance. He had helped them in the end, when he just as well could have fled, or support Lucifer. And Castiel had also thought about Charlie. She had started their friendship again, albeit reluctantly. At the moment of his talk with Dean, she had been the only one who treated Ketch with kindness.

Dean had seemed relieved over his answer but had still sighed. “Ketch needs to make a decision, Cas. And I cannot do that for him. We don’t have any high position for him and his wolf. If rising in ranks is really that important to him, he needs to leave. But if he decides that family is enough for now, he can stay. For as long as he likes. But he has to make up his mind himself. Either way, it will be all right.”

It was only after Dean’s words that Castiel fully understood the contradicting feelings he sometimes picked up from Ketch. And he had realised that the reluctance to trust him again did not only have to do with Dean and Crowley, but as much with Ketch himself. But then one day, after a Full Moon Hunt where Ketch had run with Charlie, Rowena and Claire, the inner turmoil was suddenly gone. At breakfast, Ketch had sat with Charlie and Crowley, preparing the menu for the night; and just so, day by day, every other wolf treated him differently again. Ketch had even started his defence classes once more, with Kevin as one of his most enthusiastic students. How far that omega had come from the scared pup Dean had described to Castiel in the beginning. And most notable, Ketch had started to seek out Claire more and more often, training and somehow protecting her at the same time. Dean usually frowned whenever he saw them together. And he sometimes he even had a murderous glare on his face. Just like this very moment, when they watched as Claire tried to get out of Ketch’s grip – and howled out in frustration as she didn’t succeed. Now it was Castiel’s time to reassure his Mate.

“She’s still young, my love. It will take time until she leaves to start her own pack, until she takes some of ours with her.”

It was true enough. Up until a few months ago, Castiel would have thought that Claire would start her own pack as soon as possible. But both the fire at the hospital and the fight with Lucifer seemed to have shown the girl that she still had a lot to learn. She seemed just as determined as before, but also showed a new-found patience. She seemed to have finally realised how hard it would be to keep her own wolf in check while leading others at the same time.

“You tell me you won’t be sad once she’s gone? When she might take Alex or Kevin with her? Jody? And obviously now Ketch? I mean, look how he tried to impress her the last few weeks. He’s obviously already volunteering for Second.”

“Of course I will be sad. But just because they start their own pack doesn’t mean we can’t see them anymore. Look how often you meet with Anna.” There was a pause. “And for Ketch, this might be a great solution. I thought you would be happy about it.”

Dean let out a brief chuckle. “Yeah. Can you imagine him following Claire’s orders? I might even pay money to see that happening. But I will still miss them.” There was almost a growl in Dean’s voice and Castiel knew he had to fight his wolf at the mere idea of letting his shifters go. Especially more than one at a time. Castiel trusted that Dean would never force anyone to stay with him if they didn’t want to, but that didn’t mean it was ever easy for him to break a bond.

Castiel laid his hand on Dean’s arm around his waist. “There is still time, Dean. Decades, probably. And we don’t yet know who she is going to take with her. Alex? Probably. And she should, you know this as well as I do. She will keep her from making stupid mistakes. At least _too_ stupid mistakes. But I don’t think Jody will ever leave. I don’t know why but… I have a feeling that she will let the girls go just as you will, one day. Let them grow up.” Castiel smiled; sometimes it was strange with werewolves. Alex was a lot older than Jody, was a lot older than nearly every wolf in this pack, but somehow, Jody had taken the motherly role in the little family of these three women. “And I don’t think that Kevin will go either. He will stay with Jack.” Castiel’s voice had sounded a little rough in the end, and he himself did not know whether it was because he was so sure Jack would stay with them, or if he wanted to convince himself that it was the truth. But he somehow could not picture Jack leaving him and Dean. At least not in the foreseeable future. “And who knows how our pack will look once Claire decides she’s ready? Maybe Chuck will have brought us so many new shifters by that time that you will be glad some of them start their own pack so they’re not all our responsibility. I know you’re strong, Dean, but even you have your limit. And an omega mate might help to calm a pack, as you like to say, but I won’t be able to help you with a whole army.”

Dean laughed at Castiel’s words – that wonderful warm sound that always made the omega’s toes curl – but then the chuckle suddenly died, and Dean looked honestly concerned. There was an obvious truth in Castiel’s words. At least if the Father would maintain his habit to bring them every stray he could find.

Just three weeks earlier, Chuck had called Dean to pick up two new wolves at some run-down motel, and then brought them another one himself only a day later.

Both Castiel and Dean looked back at the group of shifters who currently ran after the ball. Kevin and Jack had stopped tackling each other as they tried to block two figures to reach the improvised goal. Alicia and Max. Like with Sam and Dean, their wolves had acknowledged each other as family ever since the Change. They mostly stuck to themselves, still a bit wary of the other wolves, but somehow, Jack must have managed to talk them into a little game of soccer – and over the last half hour they had started to get more and more enthusiastic – and competitive – about the game. Castiel did not know much about their past, but the way they were so protective of each other was telling enough. Max seemed to have noticed their eyes on him and he looked up, into the direction of the house, stopping in his tracks. Even though Castiel was not sure he could really see them through the window, with the sunlight against the glass, he tipped his head to the side in acknowledgement. It was meant as a reassuring gesture. As secluded as those two still were, living together in one apartment in the pack house, they seemed to trust both Dean and Castiel. And with time, they would realise they had found a new home here, just like Castiel had. Max suddenly turned around again and clapped his sister on the back. Alicia had just scored, and both Charlie and Jody cheered at her from the sideline while Alex hardly looked up from her book. Garth, Kevin and Jack discussed whose fault it was until they all laughed.

With a smirk around his lips, Castiel searched for the third wolf Chuck had brought to their midst a few weeks ago. Eileen Leahy was currently chasing after some butterfly, unfazed by Sam Winchester’s intent gaze on her. She had started in a pack that had treated her like an abomination – shifters were usually healthy, complete, and her being deaf seemed like an offense against nature. But even though she must have had a tough life, she did not seem broken.

Castiel had liked her from the beginning, and so had Dean and the rest of the pack.

But no one liked her as much as Sam Winchester.

When Chuck had brought her to the house, Eileen had been stressed and scared, no matter how much she had tried to hide it – something Castiel had related to instantly. He had tried to calm the beta with his mere presence, as much as Dean had been careful not to freak her out, and even Crowley had stayed uncharacteristically quiet.

But no one reacted like Sam: The tall man instantly changed into wolf form, obviously not able to hold back, and rubbed along Eileen’s legs with a bowed head in an obvious attempt to reassure her.

No one needed to guess what had just happened.

Sam Winchester had found his Mate.

In the weeks that followed, everyone could see that Eileen was not broken at all – she was playful and a little snarky, just what Sam needed, in Castiel’s humble opinion. And it turned out she was also one of their best hunters – she even once managed to outdo Ketch, Cole and Rowena in a playful bet.

Castiel liked to think that she would never be able to outmatch Dean, however. He silently laughed at himself for that silly thought.

Castiel felt Dean’s hands wander over his side, and he let out a content little rumble. In the two years after his Change, he had not once imagined his life as a werewolf could ever be so good, so perfect. He looked at Claire and Ketch again; then at Kevin, still playing soccer with Jack, Max and Alicia.

“You know what, Dean? I think Chuck likes you a lot.”

Dean scoffed. “That so?”

“Because why else would he send you all those wolves?”

This time, Dean groaned. “Come on, not you too. It’s enough that Sam thinks Chuck sends us wolves because we take better care of them than anyone else. It’s just not true. And if Chuck knows anything about me, he knows I’m not good at making people feel better.”

Not for the first and neither for the last time would Castiel wonder about the distorted opinion his Mate had about himself. If anyone asked him, there was no one better to take care of unfortunate wolves than Dean Winchester. But that was beside the point right now.

“I think he wants to see you succeed. He sends you wolves who also make the pack stronger, wolves who would not be in any position to help in many other packs. But you allow them to take a part in pack life – and it works. Your pack flourishes. Everyone can see that. And maybe that is what Chuck wants. He thinks he cannot get involved in other packs, but maybe  --- he still tries to show them a new way. With you.”

“Come on, Cas. You can’t actually believe that. We’re … _I_ am far from perfect, and this pack isn’t perfect either, if that even is what Chuck wants to show.”

Castiel did not say anything in response, he would give Dean time to think about his words. And maybe he was even wrong, who knew? It probably did not matter what Chuck thought anyway. What mattered was that his pack was safe and strong and healthy. Dean did not seem too concerned about his theory either, as his Mate’s hand had sneaked under Castiel’s shirt and stroked further down his back in a way that had his body tingle in anticipation. Chuck and his plans suddenly did not seem very important at the moment.

“You know, Cas, with everyone being busy right now, how about we sneak upstairs? Before anyone wants to talk about different kinds of pasta or cleaning lists or new ideas for the Alpha Council?”

Castiel nodded with a smile. Dean was right – it did not happen often that they had some time for themselves.

He turned his head and kissed Dean on the mouth, quick and rough, then jumped up and ran towards the hall before Dean knew what happened. As he hurried upstairs, he thought about the first time he had done this, the first time he had goaded Dean to chase after him. It had resulted in their first kiss. That night seemed like a lifetime ago, or it might have been yesterday.

This time, however, Castiel almost made it to the top floor before Dean caught him and carried him to their home.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I finished another story. Congrats to me! ;-) I hope you all enjoyed this one a little bit, even though it is far from being my favourite (I intended it to be a 10k one-shot and I think it shows.)  
> I just started writing another ABO with my spin on the arranged marriage-trope (kind of) and I would love to see you all again once I start posting. <3  
> 
> 
> Please keep in mind: Comments and kudos always make me happy. :-D

**Author's Note:**

> As always: English is not my first language so please forgive me my mistakes.


End file.
